Shadows of the Past
by Set
Summary: Sonny may be out of mobster life, but a part of that past that he never knew of surfaces. Will it be a blessing, or a curse?
1. Who Is Damian Zuniga?

Authors Notes: I realize that I'm using the name of a character that has already been used for a character on the show. but the show is 40 years old, there have been some repeated names before. Plus, he's dead. and I'm pretty sure he's STAYING dead. Now then. for some retroconning in order to make this story make sense. Sonny and Carly are together, Carly has gotten her feelings back for Sonny, Michael, Morgan, and the rest. Lorenzo is still around, waiting for that moment when she will run into his arms and he can claim victory over Sonny. They don't live at the mansion thing, they live at the Penthouse. Maxie will be out of High School, as will Kyle, but Michael and Morgan are still the same age they are on the show. Georgie and Dillon are a bit older, too, but still in high school. Jason and Courtney are still together, and I don't intend on putting Brian in this anywhere, but if he does get in. well, whatever happens with that will happen. I claim rights to the characters that I (believe) to have created. For all I know. this show has had 40 years, and I've been watching for like 4 months. Even with all the backstory I've learned. I don't know everything. So, if they're already characters in the ABC soap world (since they all intertwine), someone please let me know.  
  
Los Angeles California, UCLA Medical Center, 6 Years Ago-  
  
She had been in the hospital for almost three months. Everything was fine with her for so long, no one knew that she had anything wrong with her. but then it hit. Her cancer had gone undetected until it came out in full force. It was too late to operate, too late for anything to be done. Still, her family, being devout followers of the Catholic faith, believed that their prayers would be answered. That God would save their beloved Ana- Maria. She was only 32 years old, and she was very beautiful, although you wouldn't know it looking at her now. Her flowing brown hair had all fallen out from the chemotherapy that was hoped to give her enough time. She had lost so much weight that she was barely more than a skeleton. Her son, her reason for living, sat on the chair next to his mother's bedside. He was only 14 years old and he had watched as his mother, the only parent he had, slowly slipped away from him. He was loyal to her, and was almost always there. His grades were not yet suffering from the prolonged absence. His grandparents had informed the school of their crisis, and his cousins had picked up his work for him, and took it to school when he finished it. He was a smart boy. His mother only wanted him to do good in life. And he only wanted her to see it happen. His dream was slowly beginning to end.  
  
Ana-Maria was asleep on her bed. She spent most of the day sleeping, everything that was happening to her had made her extremely weak. Her eyes opened and she saw her son. Although it pained her to do so, she smiled warmly at him. She opened her mouth and tried to speak, but her throat was so dry. He knew what was wrong and quickly helped her drink some bottled water, holding the container to her lips and gently tilting it upwards. "Are you okay?" He asked, his voice at that awkward time where it had not quite grown from child's to man's.  
  
"Where are your grandparents?"  
  
"At home resting," He replied.  
  
She smiled again, "Damian. I want you to promise me two things." She looked at her son, he had her hair and eyes.  
  
Damian got closer, "What are they, mom?"  
  
"Don't let my passing ever make you do things you regret. Don't think I didn't love you enough to stay with you. It is just my time."  
  
"Mom."  
  
She put her hand up slowly to silence him, "Also, please never let anyone try and define you by anything more than who you truly are. Your name, your family, these things are good, but they are not everything. You are your own person, don't ever forget that." She brought her hand up and touched his cheek, "Promise me."  
  
Damian was silent for a long moment, looking at his mother, fighting back the tears, "I promise."  
  
Ana-Maria Zuniga closed her eyes once more. They never reopened.  
  
Los Angeles International Airport, Present Time-  
  
Damian Zuniga was no longer the insecure boy he once was when his mother died. While that memory would forever haunt him he still continued on. He had graduated High School with a very high grade point average, and then attended a local community college where he completed his general education. His grandparents were there for him after his mother's passing, he continued to live with them while attending the community college. He wanted to attend a University as soon as he graduated, but they insisted on keeping him until he needed to go. He was their only tie to their daughter, they weren't going to let him go so quickly. Now it was time for him to go  
  
"Damian," His Nana grabbed him tightly as she cried, "You've grown up so much. I'm so very proud of you."  
  
"I don't see why you have to go all the way to New York," His Papi said, "There are plenty of good medical schools here in California, they would all accept you."  
  
Damian turned his eyes up while still under the death grip of his Nana, "Papi, I have to do this. It is for the best, please believe me."  
  
The old man nodded his head, "I do."  
  
Damian left the grasp of his Nana and started to go up the escalator. She called out to him, "Call us when you have the chance!"  
  
"I will!" He yelled back.  
  
As he was on the plane his mind went back to a time not long after his mom had died. He was in his room at his grandparent's house, staring at nothing. He had always lived there, both he and his mother. She was so young when she got pregnant, and having a child made it very difficult for her to find a husband. Her parents could not allow their family to be out without a home. They never complained once about housing their now adult daughter and their then infant grandson.  
  
Growing up without a father was not very hard for Damian. There were a few times where the harsh words of the other children about his broken family would send him home in tears. His mother knew that it must have been something displeasing, and she assured him that she loved him more than any two parents could ever love their children. It made him feel better and eventually allowed him to not even feel anything when the insults were thrown at him again. Still, there was a part of his mind that wondered. who was his father?  
  
He got his answer that day when his Nana came in and gave him a letter that Ana-Maria had managed to write before her passing. Damian's Nana said that she wrote it almost immediately after being checked into the hospital, while she still had the strength to lift a pencil. She left him alone while Damian read the contents inside. It revealed the identity of his father, or at least who she believed it to be. She met him one night and they had sex. Then he was gone the next day. Months later she realized she was pregnant. Her first thought was to have an abortion, but she was as religious as her parents, she couldn't kill a baby. Damian was born without his father being there. In fact, Ana-Maria never saw that man again. His name was Sonny Corinthos.  
  
Armed with this new information, Damian went on a search for his father. He dared not ask his grandparents, they were still much too shaken by the sudden passing of their daughter that speaking about Damian's father would be almost impossible. He found the information he was looking for at the library, using one of their computers and searching the internet. The name Sonny Corinthos brought up only a few pages. The most common were those of a local newspaper from the town of Port Charles, New York. Further research showed that Port Charles had a University, PCU, and it also had a very good internship program for medical students. His first inclination was to go as soon as he finished high school, but those plans were sidetracked and he spent two more years in Los Angeles.  
  
Now, however, there was nothing stopping Damian from going to the small town. He would land in Buffalo and then take a small plane out to the airport of Port Charles, which did not have commercial flights. He had already been accepted into PCU, and even found housing. He had spoken to a woman named Bobbie about renting a small single room apartment above a restraint called Kelly's. She was very polite and said that she would save him a room. He told her his arrival date, a few weeks before the beginning of the school year. Damian had never been out of state before, which posed an even bigger challenge of adjusting. In edition to flying half way across the country, to a small town that was almost nothing when compared to the metropolis of Los Angeles, he had to deal with the possibility of being an extreme minority. His Mexican-American heritage was something he was very proud of, but he was entering uncharted territory. He knew that if it weren't for the double task of finding his father, assuming the man still lived in Port Charles, and going to school, he wouldn't have left California. He might not have even left his grandparents home. They provided him with a net of security in life that he now had to leave. He only hoped he was ready.  
  
Port Charles, New York, Kelly's-  
  
Elizabeth Webber-Lansing smiled as she gave yet another patron a cup of coffee and a slice of pie. She was an artist, with a deep passion for that which she loved. It was disheartening to her that she did not have as much time to work on her paintings as she did when she and Ric were married. But their relationship now, much like when they were married, was still very complicated. She no longer lived with him, and she was too proud to run into the arms of Audrey, her grandmother. She knew her gram would always be there for her if she needed it, but she was her own woman and she wanted to make it out on her own. That meant that she would have to take up her job as a waitress again. She was content making her own money, but as with many things in life, doing that caused her to give up time doing other things. She heard the door open and she instinctively turned her eyes to it. She saw a young man walking towards the counter, carrying nothing more than a suitcase and a backpack strapped behind his shoulders. Port Charles wasn't the biggest town and she didn't know everyone who made it their home, but she had never seen this person's face before. If he were a traveler wouldn't he put his things at the hotel, not bring them here? Shelving her curiosity for the moment, and noting that there was something about his look that struck her as a bit of familiarity, she spoke to him, "Can I help you?"  
  
Damian nodded his head, "I'm here to rent an apartment. I spoke with a Bobbie Spencer and she said she would have the room reserved for when I came."  
  
"Oh," She replied, "Bobbie's not available right now, she's at work. She did leave a note about your arrival, though, and left the key to your apartment." Elizabeth turned around and grabbed the single key ring on the wall. She gave another genuine smile as she held out the keys to Damian, "Here you go. The apartments are upstairs. The gold key is your apartment key, the silver one is to open the door to Kelly's, since you need to come in through that door to get upstairs."  
  
Damian returned the smile that she had given him, "Thank you." He hurried up the stairs. Elizabeth watched for a second before turning back to helping the customers.  
  
He opened the door to his apartment. It wasn't very big, there was little more than a bed and some furnishing, but it was his, and it was more than he expected. His family did not have much money, all he had were the clothes in his suitcase and the various toiletries in his bag. He tossed them both on the bed and looked out the window. He hadn't registered the time zone change yet. The sun was still out, but it was certainly later than he felt it should be. There was little to unpack, and he could do it later. Damian was hungry, he returned downstairs to sample the eatery.  
  
Elizabeth heard the sounds of someone coming down the stairs. She didn't expect it to be the same person who had just gone up there a few minutes ago. "Something wrong?"  
  
"No, I just came down for something to eat." He sat down on the stool next to the counter. Elizabeth handed him a menu, "Thanks."  
  
"So, you're a new student at the University I take it?"  
  
He chuckled, "Is it that obvious?"  
  
"No, I'm just a really good guesser. I'm Elizabeth, by the way."  
  
"Damian," He replied as he held out his hand.  
  
Elizabeth shook it, "You want some coffee?"  
  
"No thanks, I don't like coffee."  
  
She took the pot away, "You know what you're going to school for?"  
  
His eyes not being taken off from the menu, he gave his response, "Medicine. I want to be a doctor."  
  
"Any particular reason?"  
  
At that question he did prop his head over the menu. He was silent, his eyes showing his struggle with the question. "It's. complicated."  
  
Elizabeth knew not to pry. She was a stranger to this boy and her attempts at small talk had just dipped into an uncomfortable area. "I'll be back in a few to take your order, okay?" She left him alone.  
  
A short time later Damian walked back up to his room. He and Elizabeth engaged in some more idle chit-chat, none of which was potentially as personal as why he wanted to become a doctor. He didn't feel comfortable speaking about the moment that had haunted him more than anything else with someone who was only a step above a total stranger. It wasn't that he didn't like Elizabeth, she seemed very nice and the type that would listen if she felt he needed someone. Damian just wasn't ready to expose that part of his life to anyone in Port Charles. Anyone aside from his father. The search for Sonny Corinthos would have to wait until tomorrow, though. Jetlag was much more taxing on the young man than he thought it would be. There were many other worries for him in addition to finding his father. He had very little money saved up, and while his tuition was taken care of through grants and scholarships it did not cover anything else. He would need to search for a job as well. He'd had a few jobs while in his teens, and was generally a good worker, so finding another one shouldn't be that much of a problem. At least he hoped it wouldn't be.  
  
Bobbie had finished her shift, which started early in the morning. Over the years of working at General Hospital she had grown accustom to the strange hours that her nursing job entitled. Still, there would always be that feeling of pleasure when she was able to leave. She walked into Kelly's and saw Elizabeth. "Sometimes I wonder if you work around here too much."  
  
Elizabeth silenced a laugh, "Have to pay the bills somehow. We can't all make Nurses salaries."  
  
"Don't I know it," Bobbie said with a sigh, "Overworked and underpaid. But it's worth it when I see all the people who we've helped."  
  
"Coffee?"  
  
"Please. You always know when I need a caffeine boost."  
  
Elizabeth poured the coffee into a cup, "Your latest tenant came in today."  
  
"The college kid?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"He have any problem with moving in?" Bobbie asked as she sweetened her drink.  
  
"None so far," Elizabeth stated.  
  
"I sense a 'but' coming along."  
  
"There's something about him. I swear I've seen it before." She shook off the feeling, "I don't know, maybe he just has one of those faces."  
  
"Or maybe you're just slowly losing your mind," Bobbie replied entirely tongue and cheek.  
  
"I'm not the one who is over the hill, Miss Spencer!" Elizabeth said, joking around as well. She and Bobbie both laughed heartily. 


	2. Double Meeting

I'll start off this with addressing comments and whatnot from reviews-  
  
Holly- My thanks for your kind words on my style, spelling, and grammar. I've grown quite a bit since I began my fanfiction career. Believe me, if you check some of my old stuff the spelling and especially the grammar were horrid.  
  
Priscilla- I'm sorry that I can't appease to your Liason needs, but I wasn't watching back then and I try and keep some of the stuff as current as possible. Forgive this shortcoming, I hope you continue to read and enjoy.  
  
I don't know if I'll be able to update within a day like I did with this part. Final's week is coming fast and I've got a paper to write, let alone other projects. Worry not, I don't intend on stopping this right away, but please bear with me for I know how annoying a long wait for an update can be. Truth be told this is the first time I've ever done a multi-chaptered story where each chapter wasn't its own story in itself. That make any sense? Hope it did.  
  
Chapter 2-  
  
The cool summer morning awoke Damian, who was wearing nothing more than a tank top and a pair of sweatpants. It would more than likely be rather hot in Los Angeles, even this early in the morning. The fact that he could open the window and poke his head out of it without letting in an insane amount of heat into his room was a welcome change. His mind instantly thought of the wintertime. It snowed in New York. He had never been in the snow during his entire life. There was that one time that he and his family had visited Disneyland during the Holiday Season, when the park incorporated fake snow for the occasion, but it was not true snow. His momentary feeling of glee quickly faded away as he forced himself to not think of such things, at least not yet. Finding his father and doing well in school were the most important things. The former taking priority at the moment since there was still some time before PCU Fall classes began. Damian ran his hand through his hair and got out of bed, heading towards the bathroom.  
  
Not long after he was back inside Kelly's. To his surprise Elizabeth was working again. She saw him and waved. He walked up, "Not to sound mean, but is there ever a time when you're not working?"  
  
"You know I find myself asking the same question from time to time. The final answer: No, not really." There were very few people inside at the moment, and they had all been helped. It gave her time for an all too rare but always welcome break. "Did you sleep well?"  
  
"Can't complain. In fact it was the first time in a long while that I got a good rest. I think it was jetlag or something."  
  
"You want some breakfast?"  
  
"I rarely eat breakfast," He replied, "Never bought into that whole 'most important meal of the day' campaign. I think it was just some ploy to sell pop-tarts and orange juice. But you could help me if you could tell me where I'd be able to find a local newspaper."  
  
"Just outside, actually." Elizabeth said, "Job hunting?"  
  
"Rent doesn't pay for itself. Besides, it'll give me something to do that may give impressionable people the illusion that I have a life." He grinned, "Always wondered what that would feel like." He pushed himself off the counter and started to walk out, "See you later, Elizabeth."  
  
As he walked outside he didn't even take note of the two teenagers who were sitting at a table nearby.  
  
"No, I didn't have fun at all last night, Kyle! You totally left me alone almost right after we got there. You know I don't really feel comfortable when I'm around your friends and you're not there with me." The girl was quiet for a moment, but it was obvious she was less than pleased with whoever Kyle was. "What'd you do without me?"  
  
"Nothing, Maxie!" Kyle was quick to defend himself, even if it was a lie. "Me and some of the other guys just decided to have some guy fun for a bit. And, frankly, you're not a guy, so."  
  
Maxie made a sound of sheer disappointment, "I knew you were a lot of things, Kyle, and not many of them were good. But I never thought you were this bad!"  
  
Kyle's temper was now flaring, "Maxie, you're making a really big deal out of nothing! God, why do you have to be such a drama queen?"  
  
"Forgive me for growing up!" She snapped back.  
  
"Candy striping has gone to your head, you know that? You know why you started, remember? Because I told you to! Because you wanted to stop being treated like the bad girl! Well, it looks like you got your wish!"  
  
"I'm doing something that I really like doing and helping a lot of people along the way! I'm sorry if I can do something with my life that's worthwhile, Kyle. I know that's a concept that is well beyond you." To that, Kyle became so angry that he flipped his chair back and stormed off in a huff. Maxie knew she had crossed a line, and she was quite sorry that she did it. "Kyle!" She yelled out, trying to get his attention again, but he wasn't hearing her. It made him extremely bitter that all the time he had spent during his high school years partying and doing drugs, activities that he still partook in on a regular basis, had ultimately ended his chances of getting out of Port Charles. No college would accept him with the grades he pulled in, and not even the Radcliffe money could sway the system in his favor. It was one of the only times when he couldn't buy his way into what he wanted. He obviously wasn't taking it well. Maxie, on the other hand, had done her fair share of growing up, and it did start with becoming a Candy Striper at General Hospital. At first it wasn't with the best of intentions, and she allowed Kyle to exploit her and the trust the Hospital had placed in her. What had started out as something done involuntarily over time became something that Maxie enjoyed doing. Her grades had even improved, although part of that was thanks to the help that Georgie gave her. Maxie owed her little sister more than she could ever hope to repay. She wasn't going to a university, but she was going to continue her education, hoping to get grades that were high enough for her to get accepted into PCU. Now, however, Maxie was just a girl who had hurt the boy she really cared for.  
  
Damian had paid them no attention at first. It wasn't in his nature to eavesdrop into other people's conversations. Once their voices raised, and especially when he heard the sound of the chair being thrown to the ground, he turned and looked. He was fortunate enough to rarely see verbal and physical confrontations in his life, but those that he did see were truly unnerving. The parents of one of his best friends had a relationship like that. Their mother's were also good friends, and they lived close to one another. Damian's mind flashed back to that time when he was awoken late one night by a frantic pounding on the door. When they opened it she came in, her lip bleeding and her eye swelling up. At first he didn't know what it meant, but the image still haunted him, and he managed to piece together the clues later on.  
  
He picked up the chair, "Are you okay?"  
  
Maxie looked up at the young stranger, "Yes, I'm fine." She picked up her purse and took off in the opposite direction that Kyle had taken off towards. He thought of following her to make sure, but he did not wish to alarm her with tendencies that could possibly be viewed as stalker-like. He sat at the table that the young couple had engaged in their altercation and browsed through the help wanted section.  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
Michael Corinthos had just woken from his nap and was walking down the stairs when he saw his father sitting on the couch. Michael loved his father, even though there were many times when Sonny was a mystery to him, and times when he was downright scary. Still, there was nothing that could make Sonny not be his daddy. The boy smiled as he ran into Sonny's arms, "Daddy!"  
  
Sonny tossed down the magazine he was reading onto the table in order to greet his son. "When'd you get up?" He asked with a smile. Now that he was out of the business Michael and his newborn son Morgan were two of the most important parts of his life. He had spent so much time putting them and Carly in danger without thinking about the consequences. One bullet to his wife's head that almost killed her and left her in a coma changed that. It caused Sonny to do something that he rarely did, evaluate his life. Michael wasn't his child, not by blood, but that didn't matter to Sonny, Carly, or Michael. The only one's who cared about Michael's true lineage were the Quartermaines, and that family only wished to taint Michael's purity and twist him into their mold. The fourth generation of Quartermaines that would further insure the family's prosperity in Port Charles. Sonny and Carly didn't want that, neither did Jason, one of the few members of that family who came out without a huge chip on his shoulder, even if it took brain damage to do it. Sonny was so deep in his thoughts that he failed to hear his son continually calling out to him, but when he did hear Michael's voice he instantly looked at the boy. "Sorry, Mike, I was thinking about something."  
  
"Is something wrong with mommy again?" The boy wondered.  
  
"What makes you think that?"  
  
Michael was a bright boy, he caught on quick, "Just when mommy had the accident and you were always afraid that she wouldn't be okay. you used to think a lot. You had that look again."  
  
Sonny smiled, "You want to know what I was thinking about?" Michael's face lit up with excitement as he nodded frantically. "I was thinking about how much I love you, your baby brother, and your mommy. How much the three of you bring to my life every day." Sonny hugged Michael tightly, "And how grateful I am for that every day of my life."  
  
"Where is mommy?"  
  
"Out shopping. You know how much she loves to shop." It was true. Carly did have a very strong inclination towards spending money. Sonny didn't mind that much. He had more than enough to satisfy even her materialism. "She'll be back soon," Sonny assured Michael, knowing that the question would come next. Sonny's cell phone went off in his pocket. Michael moved and gave him the room he needed to reach into his pocket and get it out. "Yeah?"  
  
The voice on the other end spoke to him, "Faith wishes to speak with you."  
  
Sonny sighed with a roll of his eyes, "How many times do I have to tell you people this, Zander? Tell her that I'm out of the business and anything she needs to address should be addressed to Jason, not me."  
  
Zander had his orders, "She says it is very important, and she has no intention of speaking to your puppet, Sonny." They were both silent for a moment before Zander added, "I'd suggest you meet her."  
  
Sonny gave it some thought, "Fine, where?"  
  
"The docks. There is no reason for you to bring a weapon, it will only be you and my benefactor. Don't bring any of your other underlings."  
  
"I'll be there soon," Sonny said as he closed his phone. His mind wondered what that sadistic bitch could want, but he dare not mention anything in front of Michael.  
  
"Daddy?"  
  
Sonny got up from the couch, "Mike, why don't you go upstairs and have Leticia make you something to eat. Daddy has to go do something, but I'll be back soon enough. If you need anything you know you can go to Aunt Courtney or Uncle Jason, right?" Michael nodded his conformation. "That's my boy!" He put on a face as he watched his son rush up the stairs to his room. When Michael was out of sight, Sonny's face was dead serious. He grabbed his jacket and walked out.  
  
Port Charles Pier-  
  
Some time later Faith Roscoe, the self-coined "Black Widow" stood on the edge of the pier in her black jacket waiting for the only other person who posed a reasonable threat against her up and coming drug empire. She was beautiful, cunning, and seductive, but she couldn't mask that cold heart that would do anything to gain power. She had something in common with Sonny, the drive to work from the bottom up. With Sonny at the top of the hill. he would need to stumble and fall. She heard steps and looked over. Sonny looked at her, she smiled. He remained un-amused, "I'm surprised you came."  
  
"Zander made it pretty obvious that you weren't going to take no for an answer," Sonny answered. "Besides, I think you need to hear this one last time from me, Faith. I am out. Do you understand what I'm saying? I'm not doing this anymore. I'm not risking myself or my family ever again."  
  
Faith walked up to him and got in his face, "Maybe you need to hear this from me one more time, too. No one gets out of this life, Sonny. Not even you."  
  
"Would you just say whatever it is you want to say to me so that both of us can get on with our lives?"  
  
"I'm going to give you a choice, Sonny. I want this territory, and I know that you stand in my way. The Five Families stood in my way, and now look at them. I'd hate to need the same treatment be applied to you in order to deal with you. After all, who would be a father to your sons? You can't expect Uncle Jason to step in. We both know that he'll fall before he lets you take the long dirt nap." Faith looked at him with her eyes burning into his mind, "Do us both a favor and take the easy way out, not the path that will lead to you being dragged away in a body bag."  
  
"Have you ever had someone tape a conversation with you, Faith? Maybe if someone did and played it back to you. you'd finally realize how much you love to ramble. Jason takes care of anything and everything now. You have a proposition to make? You make it with him, not with me."  
  
Faith decided that the conversation was becoming futile, she took a few steps back and started on her way. "They always said that Sonny Corinthos was too stubborn a man to ever yield, even when everything looked like it was against him. I knew they were right, but I didn't know how right they were. Until now. I gave you your chance, let's hope that you don't regret the choice that you made."  
  
"I won't," Sonny said, his face completely blank. Faith walked off one way and Sonny watched her go before turning the other way. He looked up the steps and saw a kid standing there, looking at him in the strangest way. "Got a problem, kid?"  
  
Damian froze. This was his father? 


	3. Scared Stiff

Okay, so I managed to get another chapter up before the weekend, but I really do have schoolwork to do. I'll still get some work done on this tonight, but I doubt I can get enough to make another post (although anything is possible). I'm purposely doing this story kind of slow, since I want suspense. Let me know if it works, if you readers wouldn't mind.  
  
Story-  
  
Faith had pressed Sonny's buttons. She had a knack for that. Of course Sonny wasn't exactly the hardest person to piss off, regardless of who was talking to him. But he did have a tendency for pushing his anger onto other people. Particularly when there wasn't a glass for him to throw into a wall close by. Sonny walked closer to Damian, "I'm going to ask you this again, and I'd like an answer: Do you have a problem?"  
  
Struggling to find his voice in the presence of the man who he believed to be the father he never met, Damian resorted to shaking his head, his eyes staring at the ground, not looking at the burning eyes of Sonny. "No," He muttered, still averting his eyes, "Nothing at all." He felt Sonny walk by, but didn't look. When he turned around Sonny was gone. Damian let out a moan of that expressed his sheer displeasure with himself. "Way to go, Damian. Meet the man you traveled to the other side of the damn country for and then what? Freeze up. Just wonderful." He had only heard the closing part of the encounter Sonny had with the blonde woman. But his mind wasn't on what he heard, it was on what he didn't say.  
  
The Cellar, Currently Owned By Faith-  
  
She walked down the stairs with a grace that defied her murderous nature. While she preferred to keep her hands clean when it came to the part of her work that involved guns and other high risk factors she wasn't above pulling the trigger, or ordering the hit. She took off her coat and tossed it into Zander's arms. "The fool," She said with a hint of venom in her voice.  
  
Zander put the coat on the rack and sat next to her, "Sonny called your bluff, didn't he?"  
  
"It wouldn't be a bluff if Carly didn't have Alcazar enthralled to the point that any attempt's made at Sonny would mean answering to him." She reached behind the counter and pulled out a bottle of hard alcohol. The brand didn't matter, she wanted something to drink, and she wanted it fast. She poured the drink and downed it almost instantly. "Sonny might have a seat of power in the immediate area, but Alcazar's sphere of influence is on a global level. I can't risk messing up my rise to power by gaining an enemy that powerful."  
  
"He already doesn't like you very much, Faith."  
  
She looked at Zander, "I don't pay you to be condescending. I pay you to be my bodyguard and look pretty. Why not keep doing that?"  
  
"You're the boss."  
  
"You see, you realize that fact. Why can't Sonny and Jason?"  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
The door opened as Carly walked in, carrying a few bags in the hand that did not open the door. She looked around, closing the door softly behind her, "Sonny?"  
  
"Mommy!" Michael heard his mother and ran down the stairs with the energy that only a child could produce. He saw the bags that Carly had now placed on the floor next to the door while she looked for her husband. "What'd you get?"  
  
"Just some clothes for Morgan, sweetie," She gave her son a warm smile, "He's growing so much that we have to buy him new clothes so often just so he stays warm." With no sign of her husband she had only one person to ask about his whereabouts, "Michael, where did daddy go?"  
  
"I don't know," Michael replied honestly, "I woke up and daddy was on the couch. We talked for a little while and then he got a phone call and had to leave."  
  
"Do you know who the call was from?"  
  
"No."  
  
"And he didn't say when he'd come home?" Carly wondered.  
  
Michael shook his head, "I'm sorry I can't help you, mommy."  
  
Carly hugged her oldest child and kissed him on the forehead, "That's okay, honey. Your daddy's probably just doing big people stuff that he knew you wouldn't understand. I'm sure he's fine. Did you get some breakfast yet?"  
  
'Leticia gave me some cereal while she fed Morgan."  
  
Carly would always be thankful for the help that Leticia gave her and her family, especially with either herself or her husband or both often being unavailable to take care of the kids full time. She did fear that Morgan would grow so accustomed to his nanny that he wouldn't feel as comfortable around his own mother. At the same time she remembered feeling the same way about Michael when he was growing up. Their relationship was strong, made even stronger given the unique lifestyle they led. It wasn't easy growing up in a house where your mother was kidnapped, only to come home and be shot in the head. Michael was taking it incredibly well. Almost too well. "Did he eat well?"  
  
"I think so."  
  
The door opened again as Sonny returned from his discussion with Faith. He saw his wife, "Hey."  
  
"I wasn't expecting you to leave while I just went shopping."  
  
"I got a call," He said as he leaned in for a kiss. "Did you get what you needed?"  
  
She laughed, "None of this is for me, Sonny! This is all for your son!"  
  
"Last time I checked he wasn't just my son."  
  
"You know that he's only your son when he does something bad, and he's only my son when he does something good."  
  
Michael was confused, "Wait. Morgan's a bad baby for needing new clothes all the time?"  
  
They both looked at their son and laughed. Carly was the one who explained it to him, "No, sweetie, me and daddy are just having some fun. It's great that Morgan is growing up so fast, it shows that he's healthy. Tell you what, why don't you go take a bath and the two of us will go do something? Maybe get some ice cream at Kelly's and go see Grandma!" Michael ran up the stairs again. "I swear. I don't know where that boy gets the energy."  
  
"Don't worry, one day he'll be needing caffeine like the rest of us." Sonny almost instantly thought of Faith's words. 'No one gets out of this business. Not even you.' He didn't want to believe it, but was he living in denial? Even with his vow to never again fire a gun at anyone. would they care? He knew that men could be brought to do anything if paid enough. Killing his wife and his children would be nothing if Faith or any other person looking to come in and take over could meet the asking price.  
  
"Sonny, Michael said you got a phone call. Who was it?"  
  
"Nobody."  
  
Carly wasn't about to take that for an answer, "Remember what we told each other before: No more lies? Who was it, Sonny? I want to know.  
  
"Faith."  
  
"Roscoe?"  
  
"We know any other Faith's in town?" Sonny snapped almost instantly. He quickly grabbed his head with one of his hands, "I'm sorry, you didn't deserve that."  
  
Carly walked up to him and rubbed his shoulders, "It's okay. I know how much she drives you crazy. Almost reminds me of how we were before we realized how much we cared about each other."  
  
"Faith Roscoe means nothing to me," He placed his hand gently on hers, "You mean everything."  
  
"What'd she say?"  
  
Sonny huffed a bit, "Bitch was just running her mouth. She wants Port Charles to be under her complete control. The five families stood in her way, and now they're gone, but I'm still here. She views me as a threat to her chances at creating an empire. She said that if I didn't fold over everything to her. she'd see me dead."  
  
"Sonny."  
  
"Don't, Carly, don't." He turned to face her, "Faith's ego is too big, trust me, she'll fall on her face sooner or later." "I believe you, Sonny." Carly said as she hugged her husband tightly. She did, she truly believed in anything that Sonny told her. It wasn't ignorance. It was an unwavering trust in him. But even that didn't set her mind at ease. She couldn't help but wonder. what if her husband was wrong?  
  
"How about I take you out for a night of dinner and dancing?" Sonny asked his wife, "I think I owe you that."  
  
Carly laughed, "It's a small price to pay for being your wife and the mother of your children."  
  
Sonny smiled wide, his wife had a way of making him do that. She also had a way of infuriating him, but even one smile caused by Carly's love was more than enough to make every time they fought worth it. "So, is that a yes?"  
  
"Of course it is." She knew that he was only doing it to make her feel better. Sonny had a way about him that made him mask any and every problem in their lifestyle with lavish gifts and moments of tranquility. They worked for Carly, they kept her sane. That was all that mattered. "After I get back from taking Michael out," She walked over to Sonny and put a finger on his lips, "It'll just be you and me alone on the town." She grabbed the bags of baby clothes.  
  
"Where you going?" Sonny wondered.  
  
"I'm going to pick something out for later."  
  
"Carly, it's not even noon yet."  
  
She poked her head out of the corner, "I'm a woman, Sonny. We need every moment we can to pick clothes."  
  
Sonny walked upstairs to the nursery. Leticia was sitting in the rocking chair, reading something as she made sure Morgan's every need was attended to. "He's not asleep, is he?"  
  
"No, but I'm sure he'd love to spend some time with his father."  
  
"Do you think you could."  
  
"Of course," Leticia said as she got up from the chair and headed for the door, "I'll be out on the terrace getting some air if you need me."  
  
"Thanks, Leticia." Sonny walked to the crib and looked at his baby, "Good morning, Morgan." The baby stretched his arms as he made some incoherent sounds. He wasn't old enough to talk. Sonny picked his son up and cradled him in his arms. "Daddy wants to show you something." He walked to the window and looked outside, "You see this? This is your home. This is what daddy worked so hard to get. It's all mine, but that doesn't mean it has to be yours. You'll make your own choices when you get old enough. I might not like them, but I'll accept them. I don't want you to ever think that you have to do something in order to please me, to make me proud of you. Your being here is all I need. Don't ever think otherwise." The words again rang in Sonny's head, 'No one gets out of this business, Sonny. Not even you.' 


	4. What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?

Well, I finished that stupid paper. it's probably crappy, but it was more than likely going to be crappy anyway, so this here story (which I'm having so much fun doing) doesn't really have anything to do with that. Plus I can work on it more, which makes me happy and I hope makes you, the readers, happy. Or at least I hope it doesn't drive you insane.  
  
Story-  
  
Outside Kelly's-  
  
"Hey!" Dillon Quartermaine's happy call to his girlfriend was met with no response. He got up in her face, "Georgie?"  
  
Georgie Jones looked up at the boy she had fallen in love with, even if there were many things that she didn't accept about his life, and the path that he chose. She was a firm believer in true love, and in the belief that it could maintain itself over anything. It was a good thing that Dillon wasn't what was troubling her. "Hi," She said with a soft smile.  
  
Dillon knew that look well, "What's wrong?" He wondered as he sat down in the chair across from her.  
  
"I'm worried."  
  
"Not about me, I hope." Dillon said. While he knew his contacts with Lorenzo were not something that Georgie favored, he did try and curb his involvement with the crime lord when at all possible. He cared too much about Georgie to purposely worry her.  
  
"It's Maxie, Dillon. She came to work and I could just tell that something was wrong with her. She tried to play it off that everything was fine, but I know my sister too well. I know when something is worrying her."  
  
"You can't be doing this to yourself every time you think your sister has a problem," Dillon stated. While she was the younger sister, Georgie was without a doubt the more mature and nurturing of the two. She looked out for Maxie in the areas that truly mattered. Without Felicia there to give them motherly love and advice they had to rely on each other more often than not. "She needs to learn how to deal with her problems herself."  
  
"I know, Dillon. I know." Georgie muttered sadly, "But it really isn't that simple. I can't turn off how I care about my sister like she's a movie. I can't fast-forward through all the bad parts and get to the happy ending. I don't even know if Maxie will ever have a happy ending," She added with a heavy heart.  
  
Dillon gave up on trying to get his girlfriend to stop worrying about her sister. In truth he was actually quite fond of Maxie himself, and it did pain him to a degree when he saw how she made all the wrong choices. Especially when it came to being around Kyle. They had never gotten along, and they likely never would. Dillon, while being from a family with considerable wealth (more than Kyle's family, not that it was ever openly stated), was a modest kid. He didn't flaunt his status, or ask for extravagant gifts in order to showcase who he was. He was part of that very rare line of Quartermaine's that didn't adhere to the snobbish-elitism that the name bore. "What happened?"  
  
"If I knew that I wouldn't have this big cloud of worry over my head, Dillon. She won't talk about it with me. Whatever happened to her, she's hurting."  
  
"You think it was Kyle?" Dillon wondered. Even if he didn't hate that boy he would probably still think that Kyle was the problem in a large number of Maxie's woes.  
  
"Do you have to ask?" She wondered in a sarcastic tone, at least beginning to lighten up somewhat.  
  
"No, but it was the only thing I could come up with." He put his hand on hers, "Are you really worried about her?"  
  
"More than usual; and it drives me crazy because I don't know why!" She almost yelled.  
  
"You want to go back to the hospital and just make sure she's okay?"  
  
Georgie thought about it for a moment, "That sounds so morbid."  
  
Dillon laughed, "It's not like we're waiting around for people to die, Georgie. We're going to make sure your sister isn't having a breakdown. And if she is we're going to make sure that we're there for her."  
  
Georgie smiled, "What did I ever do that got me a guy as great as you?"  
  
"You kissed me the moment you saw me at Kelly's without even telling me who you were, remember?"  
  
She kissed him again, "I could never forget."  
  
The teen couple walked back to General Hospital hand in hand.  
  
Inside Kelly's-  
  
Damian walked down the stairs from the apartments that were above the diner. Elizabeth saw him coming down, "Any luck with the job hunt?"  
  
"Nothing that I could see, just a few odd jobs that I didn't feel much like taking up. It was so much easier in L.A., everything was just there. Even if there wasn't a job in the city, which was pretty rare, the suburbs almost always had something to offer."  
  
"You didn't tell me you were from a big city like Los Angeles." Damian gave a polite smile, "You didn't ask. But I was born and raised there."  
  
"You must have had a really good reason for coming all the way over here," Elizabeth guessed.  
  
Damian's mind flashed to both the letter from his mother and his first encounter with Sonny Corinthos. "Yes," He said, "A very good reason."  
  
The door opened as Ric Lansing walked into Kelly's. He instantly saw Elizabeth and almost ran over. "Your shift nearly done?"  
  
"Almost. Why?"  
  
"I thought I'd take you out to dinner," Ric said confidently, "Someplace nice, let you be served the food for a chance."  
  
"Ric, you don't need to-"  
  
"I want to, Elizabeth." Ric quickly interrupted. "Please, it would make my day perfect." He looked into her beautiful eyes. He could get lost in them even when they were filled with nothing but hatred for him. She was the best thing that ever happened to him, he wouldn't be able to live without her being in his life. "Think about it for a minute, my pen exploded on the way over here and I need to wash the ink off my hands."  
  
Elizabeth was silent as she stared into nothing. Damian noticed it, "Not that it's my place to ask, but."  
  
"My ex-husband."  
  
Damian cocked an eyebrow, "Your ex-husband?"  
  
"I know, it sounds incredibly strange and complicated." She laughed to herself, "Mostly because it IS incredibly strange and complicated."  
  
"I won't ask for anything further, but if you want to take the advice of some kid who's barely a few steps above a stranger. if you have to think about it you're more than likely thinking of reasons to not go than you are thinking of reasons to go."  
  
"What are you, a psychologist?"  
  
At that he chuckled, "No, but I did take it in school. I just read a lot of books. I like to read."  
  
Elizabeth had to admit that he was right. She was contemplating lies that she could use to get Ric to back off, but it was more of her mind telling her to do it than her heart. Ric had done so much to her in the past, used her as a pawn in his twisted vendetta against Sonny, drugged her, lied to her more times than she would care to count. But he was also there for her when she was momentarily blinded, and he was trying to change. It was hard for him to admit that he was wrong, that he had been selfish. Yet he would do that for her, he would tell her that he didn't deserve the love that she gave him. Through this painful amount of self-pity and loathing he was becoming a better man. One that she wanted to spend time with. Ric came out of the bathroom and leaned against the counter, "Have you made up your mind? And please, I don't want you to feel that you were pressured in any way. But it would make me so happy if you would just spend the evening with me."  
  
She looked at Damian, he gave her a quick wink that made her laugh and shake her head. "Okay, Ric, you win. Let's start with a walk. I don't think I could take being cooped up in another restaurant after spending so many hours working in one. The fresh air will do me some good."  
  
"Whatever you want," Ric said as he and Elizabeth walked out.  
  
She turned her head back and waved goodbye to Damian.  
  
"Who was that kid?" Ric asked as he closed the door.  
  
"One of Bobbie's new tenants. We've talked a few times, he seems really nice."  
  
"Does he remind you of anyone?" Ric wondered.  
  
She looked at him, "You know he does. I don't know why, but something about him feels so familiar." The two walked away.  
  
Carly had Michael in hand. She had heard Ric's voice and stopped. She hoped that Michael didn't see him. He had seen her kidnapped at the hands of his own uncle, and knew from the beginning that Ric had her in that horrid room. No one believed him, and the memories haunted him until Carly returned home. She wasn't sure they still happened, but she wasn't going to take that chance.  
  
"Mommy?"  
  
She looked down at her son, "Yeah, baby?"  
  
"Why did you stop?"  
  
She made up a quick lie to spare her child, "Because you needed your shoe tied. I'd hate for you to run around and trip." She got on her knees and moved around Michael's lace, not really tying it but hoping that the boy would believe her.  
  
"You think Grandma's really at Kelly's?" The boy asked.  
  
Carly smiled as she rubbed her hand through Michael's hair, "I don't really know for sure. Even if she isn't we'll still have some ice cream and we'll make sure to catch her another time. That sound good?"  
  
"I'll go see if she's in there!" Michael said, again seeming like he would never run out of energy.  
  
He ran inside and began calling out for Bobbie, "Grandma?" He saw that she wasn't sitting at any of the tables, so he continued his search in the back, "Grandma?"  
  
Carly walked in and looked for her child. She saw him come in, and knew he couldn't be far, but still, a mother's mind would worry about her child in even the most perfect of situations. She walked up to the person that was sitting at the counter, since he was the only one alone. "Excuse me, did you see a little boy running around here?"  
  
Damian turned around and looked at Carly. She too was stricken by that odd feeling of resemblance that she couldn't pinpoint. "He ran in here looking for his grandma."  
  
Michael came back. "Michael Corinthos, you know better than to run around like that!"  
  
Michael was sad, "I don't see grandma anywhere."  
  
"That's not the point, sweetie. If you get to where I can't find you I start to worry. Please don't do that again, okay?"  
  
He hugged his mother, "I'm sorry, mommy. I didn't mean to scare you like that. I just thought she might be here."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Can we still have ice cream?" He asked, his eyes showing how much he was pleading.  
  
Carly grinned, even though she was disappointed in her child, she couldn't help but melt when he gave her that look. "I promised you that I'd get you some ice cream, didn't I?" She turned to the young man, "Thank you for your help."  
  
Damian smiled, the shock of hearing the boy's last name wiped from his face, "Yeah, no problem."  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
The door opened as Jason Morgan, former right hand man of Sonny and acting honcho of his empire, walked in. He saw Sonny sitting on the couch. While Sonny claimed to be out of the business, and Jason truly believed that he was, he would still take any advice that Sonny gave him into consideration. His respect for his mentor, the only one who allowed him to be the person he felt most comfortable with after his personality altering accident, was one of the strongest things in his life. He'd walk across hot coals for Sonny and his family, because they were his family as well. "What was it you wanted to talk to me about?" He asked as he shut the door behind him, away from prying ears.  
  
"I had an interesting conversation with the widow today."  
  
"Faith? About what?"  
  
He turned his eyes up to Jason, "She wants it all, Jason. She wants control of my territory, and she swears that she'll do anything to get it."  
  
"Sonny, Faith's always said that she wanted your territory. She wouldn't be Faith if she wasn't going around left and right talking big, making claims that she has no hope of ever going through with." Jason spoke low, not knowing that Michael was gone and not wanting to take the chance that the impressionable boy would hear something and get the ideas in his head.  
  
"I don't know, Jason," Sonny responded, "Something about her makes me think that maybe, just maybe, she might have something up her sleeve." 


	5. That Which Lurks Beneath

Chicpinay- Thank you for your kind words, they mean much to me. Truth be told about Faith. I really didn't even plan on her being in the story, but I DO love writing the evil women, they're so much fun, so she managed to get in my good graces. As for Damian and Sonny. look for them to have some words soon enough. was that cryptic enough? Well, I hope you continue to enjoy!  
  
Maxie had managed to keep herself contained during her shift at the hospital. She knew that Georgie and Dillon were there watching her. She was thankful that she had people who cared about her so much to worry over something as infinitesimal as her relationship woes, but she also wanted her space. Good intentions or not, they weren't giving her that. She was walking down the street to her home when she turned the corner and almost ran into someone. "Hey, watch it!" The voice said as Maxie managed to stop herself.  
  
"I'm so." She looked up and saw Kyle, his arm around another girl. "Kyle?"  
  
"You should watch where you're going, Maxie," Kyle said in the meanest tone he could possibly make his voice sound. "Some people might say that you're doing that whole "dumb blonde" stereotype a whole lot of justice."  
  
"What. what are you doing?" She asked, her eyes constantly fluxing between him and the girl who was snuggling up against him.  
  
Kyle snickered, "Isn't it obvious? I'm taking my girlfriend out on a date." Kyle and his girl of the week walked away.  
  
The girl turned her head back and looked at Maxie before getting closer to Kyle, "Who was that?"  
  
"Just some girl I know," Kyle answered, making sure that it was loud enough for Maxie to hear him. "Don't worry about it, she isn't important."  
  
Maxie's tears ran down her cheeks the minute he was around the corner. She was lucky that he wasn't able to see her, she was a mess. "I hate you, Kyle." She muttered as she ran the rest of the way home, breathing in- between violent sobs.  
  
Elsewhere-  
  
Seeing Sonny in a nice suit was not something most people would find alarming. He almost always looked like he belonged on a magazine cover. Carly was no different, she could wear clothes that were purchased at a second hand store and make them look like they were worth so much more. But still she looked radiant in her sparkling navy blue dress. When they were on the dance floor it was like they owned it. The people around them were more intimated by their intimacy with one another than they were intimated by the reputations that both Carly and Sonny had amassed since they first came to Port Charles. Carly leaned against her husband's shoulder, "Have I told you how much I love you?"  
  
"Not in the last five minutes, no," Sonny gently ran his hand through her hair.  
  
"This just feels right, Sonny. No guards, being out in the open without having to worry about your enemies. It's what I always wanted. My own perfect little world. You, me, the boys, we can all just be a happy family now."  
  
"I'm sorry that you had to wait so long," Sonny picked her up by the chin, "You deserve all the happiness in the world. I only wish I could have given it to you sooner." Husband and wife embraced gently as they swayed to the music. Carly pulled her head back and stared into Sonny's eyes. She could get lost in them and still feel safe, something that she could only do on rare occasions. "Carly?"  
  
She shook her head, "Sorry, I was just thinking about something."  
  
"About what?"  
  
She gave an uncomfortable smile, not sure how to answer the question. "This is going to sound really silly, but you don't have any family coming for a visit, do you?"  
  
Sonny looked at her, "You mean Mike or Courtney?" He left out Ric. His half brother would never come for a mere visit. A false accusation and an arrest based entirely on speculation was much more Ric's style."  
  
"No. No, I mean any family that doesn't live here in Port Charles already."  
  
He didn't have much family outside of those that were already in town. "Not that I'm aware of, why?"  
  
"I'm sure it's nothing," She said shaking her head, "It's just. when I was at Kelly's with Michael I saw some kid that looked really familiar. At first I couldn't think of what, but right now when I saw you I saw him again. I was thinking it might be a cousin or something. Maybe he just has that kind of face, you know?"  
  
"You sure you're feeling okay?"  
  
"What, do you think I'm seeing you in the faces of other men? Please, Sonny, he was just a teenager!"  
  
"I didn't mean that, Carly. I just want to make sure you're okay."  
  
"I'm sorry," Carly sighed, "It's just I remembered how much you hated what happened with." She stopped herself.  
  
"You can say it," Sonny said, "I'm over it."  
  
"With Lorenzo."  
  
"I do hate what happened between you and Lorenzo. I hate that you thought you were in love with that man because you were so afraid of what I could do to you. I hate that you responded more to him being around you while you were in that coma than you did with me. I hate that you missed weeks of holding Morgan in your arms, and when you finally could not feeling any connection. I hate that it all happened because of me."  
  
Carly took his hand and walked him over to their table, having this conversation on the dance floor was highly uncalled for. "Stop blaming yourself for everything. There are so many other people that are to blame for what happened. Ric, Lorenzo. Me. You're not the only one at fault." She brushed his hand with her own, "And even with everything that happened to you, to me, to us. we still together. We still love each other. We can see our sons grow up and make lives for themselves. Sonny, if I had to have it all happen again just for you to get out of the business I would. A few weeks in a coma and some more of therapy were a small price to pay for the newfound happiness that we've found together." She then gripped his hand to reassure him of their bond, "How about we go home and read Michael a bedtime story."  
  
"I thought this was supposed to be a day where it was just the two of us."  
  
Carly laughed, "We're only fooling ourselves if we try and think that the children don't control every aspect for our lives. Now and forever we are the parents of our sons."  
  
"Is that really what you want to do?" Sonny wondered  
  
She nodded, "As long as I'm with you it doesn't matter if we're dancing the night away our watching our children sleep. I'll be happy if you never leave me."  
  
Sonny kissed her hand and got up, "Let's go."  
  
Near the docks-  
  
Damian walked towards the phone booth and pulled out the calling card that he just bought. It was less costly than calling his grandparents collect, and he knew that they would be worried about him, they always were. Damian picked up the receiver as he dialed the painfully long 800 number followed by the code on the card and then his grandparent's number back in Los Angeles. The phone rang and someone picked up within a few rings, "Papi?" He asked, "Hi. Yeah, it's me. Sorry I didn't call you yesterday, but I was busy getting used to my new place. No, it's not that small. I have my own bathroom and bedroom, so I can't complain. How's Nana? Did she? I told her not to cry when I was gone. Where is she now? Grocery Shopping? No, nothing's wrong, I just wanted to see how the two of you were doing. Yes, I promise that I'm not getting homesick. I know you didn't want me to leave, but I needed to. Yes, I'm pretty sure I made the right decision. Okay, I'll try and call again later just to see if she's home yet. Love you, too, Papi. Bye." The young man put the phone back down and leaned his head against the wall. Did he sound that nervous? It wasn't that he wanted to go home, he couldn't do that. He was still disappointed in himself. He saw the strange woman in black walking past, this time with a man in a suit close by. She had spoken with his father earlier, perhaps they were going to speak again. If that were true how would he know that he wouldn't choke like he did before? There was only one way to find out. When Faith was a comfortable distance away he started to follow her.  
  
Docks-  
  
"You'd better have a good reason for calling me here," Faith said as she approached the man staring into the water, his back turned to her. "I'm a busy lady."  
  
"Busy in the bed or out?" Lorenzo asked, his deep blue eyes looking into Faith.  
  
She laughed, "Not that it's any of your business, but a little of both. You're more than welcome to get a spot on either card, or both, if you would like."  
  
"Thank you for the offer, but no."  
  
She pretended to pout, "Never say I didn't at least offer my services."  
  
"You've done that plenty of times in the past, Faith. And only on the rarest of occasions do I ever take you up on anything you have to offer." He looked at Zander, "I asked you to come alone."  
  
Faith smiled, "I gave my guard dog his break for the day. He only gets one. Never let it be said I'm a total slave driver."  
  
"Let me guess," Lorenzo started, "You gave Mr. Smith over there his time off while you and Sonny had an impromptu meeting here."  
  
"You stalking me now?" Faith asked.  
  
"Stalking isn't my style, but I have more than enough people in my employment that find it right up their alley." Lorenzo took a few steps towards Faith, "I believe I warned you about trying to weasel your way into Sonny's empire. I applaud your gusto for slaughtering the five families, it took guts that I'm not even sure I would have had."  
  
"A compliment?" Faith giggled, "And it isn't even my birthday."  
  
"I can assure you that I have no trouble ending people who get in my way," Lorenzo bluntly commented, "Even those that I might have the smallest amount of respect for." He saw Zander take a few steps forward, "You can keep your distance, Zander. If I intended on ending the life of you or your employer rest assured that it would have already been done. Let me get to the point, Faith. My ban on Sonny and anyone associated with him still stands. If you so much as raise a finger or give the order to do anything that would cause physical or emotional pain to Carly I will see to it that you are punished in a way that will keep you alive, but you will wish that you were dead."  
  
"Fine," Faith said, rolling her eyes. "We could have had something great, Lorenzo."  
  
"Only until you got what you wanted, and then you'd kill me."  
  
She shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know. I try and keep the cute ones around as long as I can." She whistled and Zander turned his head, "Come on, lap dog. We're done here."  
  
"Mr. Alcazar?"  
  
"Yes?" Lorenzo said as he heard one of his men call his name.  
  
"I stayed out of sight like you ordered me to, sir." The man came out of the shadows, holding Damian in a full nelson hold, "But it appears I wasn't the only one trying to stay cloaked."  
  
Lorenzo looked at the boy, "I knew Faith liked them young, but this is a bit much."  
  
"I don't work for that lady," Damian said. He would have laughed at the fact that all the fear he felt when he saw Sonny, and his life wasn't threatened, was gone. Of course, laughing right now would probably prove foolish.  
  
"So you just randomly follow around women at night?"  
  
"Something like that."  
  
Lorenzo looked at his employee. "Al, let him go. He isn't a threat to us." Al did as he was told. Damian rubbed his arms as Lorenzo walked up to him, "I don't know why I trust you, boy, but I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt for now. Do yourself a very big favor and stay away from Faith Roscoe. Nothing good amounts from being around her, believe me."  
  
"I can take care of myself," Damian said confidently.  
  
Lorenzo laughed, "Your track record so far isn't coming up favorable. If we should ever meet again I certainly hope it is under better circumstances, because I won't be so nice otherwise."  
  
Damian watched the two men walk away. He couldn't help but wonder what went on in Port Charles behind the scenes. 


	6. Confrontation

Shamira- My thanks for your kind words. I hope that when you find the time to read this thoroughly you will find it engrossing. As for the grammar thing. it is evil, very evil, but it must be done.  
  
Fair Warning: This chapter has Courtney, who isn't exactly a favorite from what I've read. I like her, though.  
  
Story-  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
Sonny and Carly walked into their home hand in hand, constantly glancing at one another with wide smiles. Courtney saw them and was taken in by their happiness. It was not long ago that they would rarely smile at one another. She was happy for her brother and her best friend. "You're home early."  
  
"We took a rain-check," Sonny said as he removed Carly's coat and put it on the rack.  
  
"We don't need a fancy dinner and a dance floor to be happy," Carly added. "But, Courtney, why are you here?"  
  
"Morgan was being kind of fussy," She said, "Leticia knows to call me in case neither of you are here and she needs some help."  
  
"Is he okay?" Carly asked, concerned for the welfare of her infant son.  
  
"Yeah, he's fine. It wasn't much, I just rocked him a bit while he ate and everything was fine a few seconds later."  
  
"Is Michael still up?" Sonny asked.  
  
"The way Morgan was crying?" Courtney remarked, "There really wouldn't be any way for him to get any sleep."  
  
"Was he that bad?" Carly wasn't enjoying the way her best friend was making her child seem like she had a serious problem.  
  
Courtney smiled as she looked at Sonny, "Let's just say that Morgan has a way of being heard when he wants something just like his father."  
  
"Sonny, I'm going to go."  
  
Sonny nodded, "Just go, Carly. Michael can wait a few extra minutes." Brother and sister watched as Carly hurried up the stairs. "Even though I'd rather see her feel happy about Morgan."  
  
"I know," Courtney had the same thought, "It's just nice to know that she cares about him again. I didn't mean to worry her that much, though."  
  
"All mother's are like that with their babies," Sonny saw Courtney's eyes turn away from him when she heard him say that. He silently cursed at himself for his insensitivity. "Courtney," His voice was filled with his sorrow for his little sister and her dilemma. Like many things that had happened to those that were close to him, Sonny was in part responsible for Courtney's miscarriage and subsequent botched up surgery that left her almost barren.  
  
She waved her hand, "Its okay, Sonny. I know you didn't mean it."  
  
"Still, I shouldn't have said it."  
  
"It's easier for me to deal with if people would stop treating it like it didn't happen! I made a mistake and cost me the baby that Jason and I should have had. That is something that I am going to live with for the rest of my life, I don't want everyone ignoring it. It happened, and I'll always remember that it happened."  
  
"Come here," Sonny opened his arms wide and Courtney went into them, a gentle sob coming from her mouth. "You'll find a way to be a mom, I know you will."  
  
"Thanks," She said as she pushed herself away from her brother and wiped away the tears from her eyes, "I should still give you some time to be with your wife and the boys."  
  
"You don't have to leave, Courtney. You're as much a part of Michael and Morgan's life as we are."  
  
She smiled, "Thanks, Sonny. I needed that. Still, this is a moment where you should be with them. I'll just be down the hall if you need me."  
  
Sonny watched the door close in front of him and shook his head, softly muttering, "Some big brother you turned out to be."  
  
Courtney walked over to her door and leaned her head against it. She didn't want to forget what had happened. She didn't feel that she deserved to have the biggest mistake of her life just taken away like nothing had happened at all. Still, she wished more than anything that it never happened. That she never went to Argentina, that she never jumped out of that boat. So many mistakes. all made because she was selfish and wasn't thinking about the needs of her child.  
  
Upstairs Carly was holding her baby in her arms, "Aunt Courtney says that you like to cry a lot. But you're a good baby, aren't you?"  
  
"I'll never get tired of seeing you hold our son," Sonny said as he walked into the nursery.  
  
Carly smiled as she kissed Morgan on the forehead, "Did Courtney leave?" Sonny turned his eyes away, hoping that Carly wouldn't notice. He was wrong, she knew, "What's wrong?"  
  
"I just said some things that I shouldn't have. I wasn't being respectful of everything that she's been through. She tries to act like it isn't hurting her as much as it does."  
  
"She just doesn't want to bother you with her problems. She knows how much you go through every day and how much it takes out of you. Besides, she's a strong willed woman, she always has been."  
  
Sonny tickled his son's stomach, "Still, it would have been nice for Morgan to have a cousin to play with and grow up with."  
  
Carly nodded her head, eyes filled with the sadness she felt for her best friend's plight, "Yeah, it would have." She noticed that her baby had fallen asleep in her arms. Carly placed Morgan back in his crib and kissed him. "One down, one to go. Goodnight, Morgan." With one last look she followed Sonny out of the room and into Michael's.  
  
He was sitting on his bed, not under the covers, looking around at the various adornments that lined his walls. He heard the door open and his eyes lit up when he saw both of his parents peak their heads in, "Mommy, Daddy!"  
  
"You should be asleep," Carly surmised.  
  
"I couldn't sleep, the baby was crying so much."  
  
"Don't feel too bad about it, Mike," Sonny began, "He keeps us up sometimes, too."  
  
"It's okay, I know that he's just a baby. He doesn't know how to do anything by himself yet."  
  
Carly sat at the seat of her son's bed, "He'll be a big boy, going to school, wrestling with you and doing all kinds of other things before you know it. Still, I want you to know that I'm very proud of you, you're taking this a lot better than a lot of other kids would in the same situation."  
  
"I don't know if words are enough, Carly." He walked up and looked at his son, "How about a piece of pie from Kelly's, just for being such a great big brother?"  
  
"Can I, Mommy?" Michael asked, his hopes already high but knowing full well that his mother could bring those down with one simple word.  
  
Carly contemplated the suggestion for a moment, "You're already in your pajamas, and it's late. I'd hate for you to catch a cold." She saw Michael frown, "I'm not finished yet, sweetie. I was going to say that you and I will wait here while your daddy goes and gets some pie and brings it back." She looked at Sonny, "That sound like a plan to you?"  
  
"Yeah, sure. Be back in a few." Sonny left the room and walked out of the house.  
  
Kelly's-  
  
Whoever that strange man was, he was right. Damian wasn't exactly having the best day of his life. To say that he had blown it would be an understatement on so many levels that it wasn't even funny. Being caught by one of those men wasn't unexpected, he wasn't used to sneaking around in the shadows, he was only looking for information. The place was almost empty aside from those that were just finishing their meals or desserts. Most would glance at the boy in the corner, silently stewing to himself. Being in a place where you had no friends and no one even knew who you were sure didn't work well when the comfort of another person just being there for you was needed. Damian was beginning to think that maybe he had bitten off more than he could chew. He overestimated himself in a big way, thinking that he could come to this town and confront his father. He thought about cutting his loses now and just leaving. Sonny seemed like he was a very complicated and dangerous individual. Damian didn't really feel like getting involved in a life where he could possibly be taken away in a body bag. He had goals in life. He wanted to be a doctor. Save some other child from watching their mother whittle away in front of their eyes without any way of stopping it. He wanted to become a father and be the father he never had. He wanted. a relationship with his father. He shook his head. There was no denying that he wanted that. If not for himself than for the memory of his mother. Why would she have given him a letter telling him who his father was unless she wanted him to someday meet Sonny and possibly forge a relationship?  
  
He watched, awestruck, as the person in question walked through the door. Sonny walked to the counter, paying no mind to anyone that was in Kelly's with the exception of the person behind the counter. "Could I have three slices of pie: Cherry, Peach and Apple to go?" The cashier quickly pulled a slice from each pie out and placed them in a separate box and bagging them together. Sonny paid for the pie and gave the chance to her as a tip before walking out of the building.  
  
"Now or never," Damian said to himself softly as he got up and followed Sonny out the door. He looked around and saw Sonny turning the corner. Damian ran behind him and called out, "Hold on!"  
  
Sonny head the voice and turned around. He jerked his head back as he noticed that it was the same person that was at the docks earlier in the day. "What, are you following me or something?" "Something like that."  
  
"Who are you, kid?" Sonny wondered.  
  
"Damian. Damian Zuniga."  
  
Sonny didn't have time for games with a stranger. He was quick to the point, "Should that name mean anything to me at all?"  
  
"Mine might not," Damian said, trying to not lose his voice or fall onto the ground, "But maybe my mother's does. Ana-Maria Zuniga."  
  
"I'm still drawing up a blank here. Look, I've got a family back home waiting for me."  
  
Damian dug into his wallet and pulled out a picture that was taken when his mother was 30. "This is her. If you can't remember her name then maybe you can remember her face."  
  
Sonny rolled his eyes and looked at the picture, if only to appease this odd kid with nothing better to do than pester him. Seeing the picture made his memory flood back. He remembered her after seeing it. Sonny gave the picture back and looked at Damian, "Why are you here?" 


	7. Disbelief

I've realized that these chapters are getting shorter and shorter. Not that I'm running out of things to write, but I'm doing the focus on one group of characters, so there aren't as many points that I want to get across. Please bear with me until I resolve such things and get back to (hopefully) longer chapters. Anyway, onto responses,  
  
Shamira- My word! Thank you so much for the HUGE review! I love feedback, and getting that much back made me quite happy! Like you I am a Sonny (Daddy!) Addict, it is hard not to be when the man's greatness cannot be ignored. I do love Carly as well, and am glad that you enjoy how I'm writing the focal characters of the show (although, honestly. it's getting a little much. My love for SC is so great, but show me some other characters, dammit!). Normally I don't like children, but something about Michael. I just love that kid! He's so cute. The line where he told Carly something like, "I know you and daddy fight, and sometimes he breaks things." I was laughing for a good minute. Never understood where he got red hair, though. AJ doesn't have red hair, Carly doesn't. meh, inconsistencies are a soap staple, so I will ignore it. I didn't even look at the Lorenzo line. it is a characterization error on my part, but I am glad you found amusement in it. Maybe he doesn't think he stalks her. Lorenzo is a twisted man. I love Faith a lot as well, she gets some of the best lines. Feel bad that Zander's pretty much been reduced to being eye candy, but it gives her more outlets for her comedy, so I can't complain. The Maxie thing will come to a head soon as well! Thank you so much for your kind words and input! I hope that you continue to enjoy!  
  
Chicpinay- Don't think I'd forget you even with that huge blurb above! Yes, Faith is a very entertaining character to write. She's also very rewarding. One thing I didn't know I did was use 'both' twice. Shame on me. Still, your continued support is great, much thanks!  
  
Story-  
  
Damian was silent, his eyes burning into Sonny's soul. Sonny wanted answers, and when he wanted something he had a way of getting it, "Damian. why are you here? Did Ana send you to find me?"  
  
Damian turned his eyes away, "You could say that." He had never heard anyone call his mother anything but Ana-Maria, "She's dead. She died six years ago."  
  
"A little late for a notice for the funeral, don't you think?"  
  
"That's not funny."  
  
"It wasn't meant to be," Sonny snapped back, "You're avoiding telling me something, and we both know it. This would go a whole lot easier if you would just be upfront with me."  
  
"Is that what you really want?" Damian asked.  
  
"It's more effective than beating around the bush like you're doing with me right now. I want you to be honest."  
  
"You're." Damian's voice was shaky and he stopped himself, taking a breath, "You're my father."  
  
Sonny felt queasy the moment he heard Damian. His father? "That can't be true."  
  
"Believe me when I say that it isn't something that I'm a very big fan of either. I would have much rather had a father who was there for my mother and I. Instead. I got you."  
  
"What makes you think that I'm your father?"  
  
"Before she died she wrote me a letter saying that she didn't want me to be without a parent. The letter gave me a name, your name. Considering that you were her first and then she got pregnant with me. I think the odds aren't very much in your favor."  
  
Visibly shaken but still standing strong, Sonny turned around, "My family is waiting for me back home."  
  
"Funny," Damian began, "You've got family that's been waiting for you for twenty years standing right here. From what I've read about you I wouldn't think that the high and mighty Sonny Corinthos would ever run from a problem like a bastard child."  
  
"I'm not done asking you questions," Sonny said, "You're coming with me."  
  
"Fine," Damian followed his father home.  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
Sonny opened the door, "Sit on the couch, I'll be right back." Damian watched his father walk up the stairs. He looked around the house, it was furnished with expensive imported goods. Sonny lived a lavish lifestyle, this much was apparent. There were pictures that were above the fireplace. Damian walked over and picked up the one that had his father with the little boy he had seen earlier and Michael's mother.  
  
Carly heard the door open, "You took such a long time that he just fell asleep. Did you take the scenic route?" Sonny was silent, his eyes showing that he was obviously somewhere else. "Sonny?" He still wasn't responding to her calls, "Sonny, what is it? What's wrong?"  
  
Sonny looked at Michael, who was deep in slumber. "I think you should come with me downstairs."  
  
Carly walked down the stairs to find the kid that was at Kelly's earlier. "What are you doing here?" She asked before turning to Sonny and asking him the same question, "What is he doing here?"  
  
Sonny ignored her, not out of rudeness, but out of importance to the boy on the couch. "So your mother dies, and after she's gone you get a letter that says I'm your father?"  
  
"Among other things, yes," Damian answered. "How do you know that it was hers? I mean, if she was already dead it could have been someone just playing a joke on you."  
  
"I know my mother's handwriting. Plus my grandmother gave me the letter and said that she had received it directly from my mother before she died. Is that good enough for you?"  
  
"No," Sonny said, "It isn't."  
  
"Excuse me, but what the hell is going on here?" Carly asked.  
  
"You know some people would be happy that they were able to meet the child they never knew they had before they died."  
  
"I'm not 'some people', and I never take anything at face value," Sonny quickly replied.  
  
"Third person with no clue what's happening here!" Carly's voice was loud enough to get both her husband and Damian's attention. She hoped it didn't wake up the children, but at this point she was so confused that she didn't really care. She looked at Sonny, "Terrace, now." She walked outside to the terrace that looked over the city. "Care to fill me in?"  
  
"He says that I'm his father."  
  
"And you invited him into our home just because he comes up with some claim that he can't back up?" Carly asked, amazed at how her husband was handling the situation.  
  
"No, I invited him into our home because. it could be true."  
  
Carly's mouth opened, "What do you mean 'could be true'?"  
  
"I was young and working for one of my old bosses in Los Angeles. he wanted to take over some territory the old fashioned way. Ana, Damian's mother, bartered herself to save some lives."  
  
"She gave herself up to you and you just took it?"  
  
"It's not that simple, Carly! You know how the business works, if I didn't do what my boss wanted me to do there wouldn't be enough pieces left of me to fill up a dog dish. I had to do it."  
  
"You believe him, don't you?" She asked.  
  
"You know I don't believe anything without concrete evidence," Sonny answered, "The word of a dead woman, no matter how believable, isn't enough." Sonny went for the doorknob, "I'm going to find out for sure."  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"The hospital. This is Port Charles. They must have done hundreds of paternity tests over the years."  
  
"I'm coming with you," Carly said.  
  
"I knew you would, but could you tell Courtney that we're going to be gone again?"  
  
"Sure, be right back."  
  
They both walked into the house, Sonny walking towards Damian, Carly towards the door. She kept it open as she walked down the hall. "Get up," Sonny ordered, "We've got one more stop to make."  
  
"And that would be?"  
  
"The hospital," Sonny answered, "We're going to do a blood test."  
  
Damian rolled his eyes, "This would work a whole lot easier for everyone if you would just believe me."  
  
"I told you before, kid. I don't believe anyone unless there's enough that will make me believe it for sure. Unless you come down with me I'll never believe that you're my child." He went to get his wife's coat, "Unless you don't want to know, either. It doesn't bother me either way."  
  
"I find that hard to believe."  
  
"Believe what you want, but that's how it's going to go."  
  
With a loud sigh, Damian gave in, "Fine, if this is what I have to endure. it's a small price to pay."  
  
Carly and Courtney came into the house. Carly grabbed her coat from Sonny's arms and put it on in a hurry. "If Morgan has a problem, please call me. We shouldn't be that long."  
  
"What's the rush?" Courtney asked her brother.  
  
"I'll tell you about it later. Tell Jason that I'm at the hospital looking for answers if he asks."  
  
"Answers? Sonny, none of this is making any sense!"  
  
Sonny snapped, everything finally getting to him, "Courtney, please, don't ask. Not right now." Courtney tuned away. Sonny looked at the boy, "Let's go." Courtney looked at the stranger who she hadn't even noticed until now. He gave a quick glance at her as well before following Sonny and Carly out and down the elevator.  
  
"What's going on?" A confused Courtney wondered, knowing that she wouldn't get any answer.  
  
General Hospital-  
  
Bobbie was working the late shift at the hospital. She saw the elevator open and was surprised to see her daughter and son-in-law walking out. Instantly she feared the worst, "Is something wrong with either of the children?"  
  
Carly walked up to the counter, "No, mom, everything's fine with the kids," She turned her head behind her shoulder towards Damian, "Well, most of the kids."  
  
Sonny was at the side of his wife, "Bobbie, I need a blood test."  
  
"Just you?" Bobbie asked, "Sonny, we have your blood samples on record, you don't need to take any more."  
  
Sonny shook his head, "Not just for me," He pointed his thumb back at the boy, "For him, too."  
  
With no questions that she felt like asking vocally, Bobbie only nodded, "I'll arrange it right away." 


	8. The Wait

Since there were no new reviews (sniff), I will just get straight on with the story!  
  
Story-  
  
There are moments in life when every second that passes feels like an eternity. Sonny's life had been full of them before, and he was going to add yet another instance to the list. He sat there taking a quick glance at Damian every few minutes. The boy appeared to never look at him, or at least knew when Sonny was going to look and made sure they didn't find each other looking at one another. As hard as this was for Damian it was hard for Sonny as well. Those that only know him by name and not reputation would think that he is the stone cold mobster who feels nothing when he orders even the most heinous of crimes to take place. They were only part right. Sonny's life caused him to act like nothing would ever hurt him. He couldn't let others see any signs of vulnerability in him, because they would take it as a weakness and try a take over. They didn't see everything that there was to Sonny Corinthos. They knew not of his past, growing up without a father and instead being stuck with an abusive step-father who took out his frustrations on the boy who didn't know why he was being hit. The resentment he felt for Michael, his father, which was still a strong part of his life even now. Through Lily the two had become more civil with one another, but Sonny would always have that hurt caused by abandonment, and nothing could take it away. It was a weapon for him. His personal pain quickly became a reason for his lifestyle. A justification for all that he did. It worked sometimes, but it wouldn't always work. There were times when everything became too much for Sonny to handle. Lily's death because of Sonny's life. Losing his first child because of AJ, sacrificing his unborn child so that his wife could survive. For every high in Sonny's life there always appeared to be a low to counter it. The latest ordeal with Carly was the last straw. He almost lost her again, and there was no way that he could lie to himself. No way he could make what had happened to his wife into a validation of his past. His reckless nature had put Carly and so many others in danger more times than he could ever hope to count. He'd ruined more lives than he ever helped. With another look at Damian he wondered if he had ruined another.  
  
Carly needed to get away from everything. She couldn't help but laugh at the irony. Only hour ago she was the happiest she had been in a long time and now she was wondering what effect this would have on her family. Unexpected relatives coming into Sonny's life, it had happened before. While Courtney had quickly become Carly's best friend and constant confidant, Ric was one of the most twisted people she had ever encountered. He had a vendetta against Sonny that he had carried since he was a small child, one that he still carried. Would Damian be any different? She knew nothing about him except that came here to reveal himself to Sonny. Would he just leave? She could only be that lucky. Would he stay and bring havoc to them? Would he ruin the marriage that they worked so hard preserving after the accident? Given the track record, that was the way it was going most.  
  
"I would think that you would have been with your husband right now. He needs your companionship. He needs to know that you still love him."  
  
"I'll go in there soon, mom," Carly said without turning around.  
  
"Carly, whatever you're thinking right now you can't blame it on him. Believe me when I say that I'm the last person you'd expect to defend your husband, but I'm doing it now. I've seen the way he cares for Michael and Morgan, he tries so hard to be a good father to those boys. If he would have known about."  
  
"Stop right there, mom." Carly ordered, "Whatever you're about to say isn't true. It can't be true."  
  
Bobbie shook her head, "If you really believed that, would you be standing out here alone? Carly, you're so afraid of the possibilities that you're not thinking about anyone but yourself."  
  
"I'm not?" She snapped back, "Mom, this whole time I've been thinking about what this could do to my family. My family, not myself. Sonny especially. He's taking this so hard. He barely knew the woman. and he still."  
  
"Carly, listen to me and listen good," Bobbie forced her daughter around so that Carly was looking at her, "We make mistakes, especially when we're young, but we can't be judged by those mistakes alone. If we were what would that make me? I'd never have you in my life, and I certainly wouldn't have my wonderful grandchildren. What happened with you haunts me now, and will haunt me until I die, but I'm so thankful that I was able to start making up for the mistakes I made. Don't you think Sonny deserves that chance?"  
  
He couldn't stand it anymore. Even without looking he could feel the stare. It made him feel so uncomfortable, so unwelcome, so insignificant. For some reason he was attracted here. He looked at the statue of the Virgin Mary, candles that were littered around, some lit, others out. He hadn't been inside a church for years, ever since his mother died. His family wasn't supportive of his decision. None of the Zuniga's had ever forsaken their God before, even with everything that they went through. He didn't care then, and he certainly didn't care now. He couldn't understand how the so called 'divine plan' would entitle that a child have his mother stripped away from him in such a manner that he was forced to watch her slowly whittle away. He was left with so many memories, but the ones that would always stand out were the ones that happened shortly before she died. He felt no comfort inside the mini-church, but he remained anyway. The feeling of God staring down at him was much less intimidating than the prospect of Sonny wishing he had never come around. If he could do it again, would he just stay in Los Angeles? Ignore that which was written in the letter? Live life without every knowing of his father? If Sonny even was his father. That was the worst part. Not the possibility that Sonny wasn't his father, but the fact that he doubted his mother. He had never done that before in his life. She was a beacon of truth that shined in a life filled with doubt. The light still remained, even now. Her family was so strong in the belief that one must stay virginal until marriage. what could have happened that made her forsake that belief? Did Sonny rape her? He was running through the hospital within seconds.  
  
Sonny heard him panting, "Enjoy your run?"  
  
"We need to talk."  
  
"Anything that you need to ask me you can ask right here, Damian."  
  
"Did you rape my mother?"  
  
Sonny shook his head, "I never raped your mother."  
  
"She wouldn't give up herself so willingly, especially to a man that she had never even seen. I don't believe you."  
  
Sonny shrugged his shoulders, "Believe what you want but I'm the only one around that knows what happened that night. I did not rape her."  
  
"Why then?" Damian asked.  
  
"I can't remember. Maybe we were both drunk or doing drugs, there are so many ways that it could have happened. It was one night over twenty years ago, my memory isn't perfect."  
  
"You remembered her face."  
  
"A face that beautiful isn't easy to forget," Sonny stated. "Be thankful that you had a woman like that for your mother. You could have done a lot worse."  
  
"I am thankful," Damian sat on the side opposite of Sonny, "Every day of my life I am thankful for the short time I had with her."  
  
"How did she die?" Sonny asked.  
  
"Cancer. None of us knew that she had it until it was too late."  
  
Sonny's eyes closed in solitude, "I'm sorry."  
  
"Not half as sorry as I am." Damian looked at Sonny, "Have you ever had a moment in your life that was so profound that it made you swear that you would never let it happen again if you could help it?"  
  
Sonny's mind flashed back to that rainy night where he shot his wife on accident, "Yeah, I have."  
  
"You need to know something." Damian began, "I didn't just come here to see you. I'm going to PCU, and I'm going to become a doctor. The best way I can preserve the memory of my mother is to try and keep others from going through what I and my family went through."  
  
"Ana would be very proud of you to say that," Sonny stated. He was proud of Damian, too. Son or not, anyone who is willing to use their own pain and fight to keep others from going through it. that took a lot of character.  
  
Damian smiled, "No one has ever told me that she would be. I'm sure they all knew it and felt it, but they never took the time to say that she'd be proud of me. It means a lot."  
  
A male doctor walked up to the waiting area. He knew who Sonny was, "Mr. Corinthos, Mr. Zuniga. we have the results." He opened up the folder, "Upon taking the blood sample from Mr. Zuniga and comparing it to the sample of your blood the results are positive. You are his father." The two shot looks at each other, both unaware of the fact that Carly was only a few feet away listening. The doctor saw that it was an uncomfortable time for the two men, "I'll leave you alone." He walked off, wondering how they would sort everything out.  
  
With the mystery of his lineage solved, Damian got off the couch, "I've proved my point."  
  
Sonny looked at his son, "And that's it? You find out that I'm your father and you run off?"  
  
"What else would you have me do? You didn't believe me when I told you, which was proof enough that you don't want another child in your life," There was hurt in his voice, but he was holding himself well, "You're going to need some serious soul-searching, 'dad'. I think the best way you can do that is without me being around to remind you of the mistake you made. I live above Kelly's. Look for me if you change your mind. I'm not expecting you to."  
  
"Damian!" Sonny called out, but the boy had already entered the elevator and was gone. "Damn!"  
  
"Sonny." Carly walked up and hugged him, "I'm so sorry." She pushed herself away and looked into his eyes, "Now you have proof."  
  
"Proof that I have a son who hates me," Sonny remarked sadly.  
  
"He was so mean to you, the way he reacted-"  
  
"Was the exact way he should have, Carly." Sonny walked over to the window and saw Damian walking away, "I didn't believe him."  
  
"We can move on without him, Sonny. He wasn't in your life for twenty years, why is it so important now?"  
  
"Because I'm his father," Sonny leaned his head against the clear glass, "Because I promised myself that I would never not be there for any of my children like my father wasn't there for me."  
  
"You didn't know he was your son!" Carly pointed out.  
  
"And now I do. Now I want to be in his life and he might not let me." 


	9. With Or Without You

Some notes- Even though no one commented on it. I have NO idea how long a paternity test takes. for all I know it could be weeks, not hours like I had it in the story. Still, this is a work of fiction. based on a soap- opera no less. Stranger things have happened *Cough* Stravos being frozen *Cough*. Please bear with me on that.  
  
Now, for the feedback to the feedback-  
  
Chicpinay- Yeah, it had been a bit too much of the "talking head" syndrome, with very little of the innermost thoughts and feelings stuff. I like to think I'm good at dialog (and I've been told I am), but a part of me also likes the personal stuff. The Bobbie thing just kind of hit me when I was thinking about it. I always wanted to include her, since this is a very family oriented story, and Bobbie is family, but I wasn't really expecting that I'd have her give Carly a lecture. Still, it happened, and I'm personally pleased with how it came out. Glad you liked it, too! And I also agree with you on the Bobbie not being around. You'd think that the fact she's the mother of the MAIN female on the show (ignoring the fact that she's got 20+ years of tenure.) would get her some prominence. But, nope, Bobbie gets no love. And let me tell you that Carly's anti-Damian ways have just begun.  
  
Shamira- Sorry. I didn't mean to make it sound like I EXPECT reviews like the minute I post them. I do like it when I get such things, though. Reviews let me know if you think what I'm doing is right. And that pleases me. Also, just so you know, I'm a guy. Don't worry, you weren't the first person to say I'm a girl, and you won't be the last. Just for future reference you know ~_^. I am very pleased that you are enjoying Damian, beings that he is a character that I have created from my own mind. Sad as it is to say it'd be a character I would LOVE to play if given the chance (and given the acting abilities and a severe facial makeover do I don't look heinous. after all, Corinthos's must be pretty, it's a rule), so the fact that he's not hated is certainly a plus. Also, look below, it wasn't planned that way, but I'm sure you'll find a pleasant surprise.  
  
Much thanks to you both for being constant reviewers and giving me some of the best feedback I've ever gotten on anything I've posted to FF.net. Your thoughts and opinions are always counted, but that's not to say I wouldn't like some more feedback! Don't be afraid, if you don't like the way the story is going, please tell me! Until tomorrow.  
  
Story-  
  
Scorpio Household-  
  
Georgie knew that her sister was home. She heard the sobbing when she came inside the house. Mac was working late, and she wouldn't call him down from the station just for her. Maxie had changed so much in such a short time. She wasn't selfish anymore, she was beginning to realize who she was and who she wanted to be. Right now, though, she was just a girl who was hurt. Georgie knocked on the door, "Maxie?"  
  
"Go away!" Maxie demanded.  
  
"Maxie, come on, it's just me. I only want to talk. I promise."  
  
"Go away, Georgie!" Maxie again ordered.  
  
Her sister wasn't going to listen, even with the pleas that were given. Georgie checked the door and noticed that it was unlocked. She turned the knob further and pushed the door open. The room was a mess, not that Maxie was the tidiest person on the planet, but this was a stretch, even for her. It was then that Georgie saw her sister, face buried deep inside a stuffed bear that had long been her salvation, ever since the days of going through Frisco's ever periodic desertions. It was a bit childish that Maxie still held such a strong tie to a stuffed toy, but it was her way of dealing with things that were too much for the young woman to deal with. There was a time when she would drown her sorrows in meaningless drugs, sex, and alcohol, so this was certainly an improvement. Maxie turned around and looked at her sister, the make-up running down her cheeks, staining them an unnatural color. Georgie walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, "Maxie."  
  
"Did you forget English?" Maxie yelled, "I asked you to leave me alone!"  
  
Georgie was fighting back her tears. Seeing her big sister like this was too much for her to bear. They had a lot of differences, but they were bonded eternally by blood and a deep abiding love. That love was the reason that she could not just sit there and do nothing while Maxie cried her eyes out. "I'm not leaving till you tell me what happened," Georgie stated, successfully keeping her voice firm despite feelings that would suggest otherwise.  
  
"He broke up with me." Maxie said.  
  
"Kyle?" Dillon was right, it was that boy's fault. yet again, "Maxie, he breaks up with you all the time!"  
  
"But. he never hurt me when he did it. I was walking home and I bumped into him," Maxie recalled the painful events that had taken place only earlier that day. The wound was still fresh. Kyle's plan was working perfectly, "He had another girl all over him, Georgie! There was some girl that I didn't even know and she was all over MY boyfriend! Then. he said that I didn't matter, that I was nothing to him."  
  
"He was just trying to make you mad at him," Georgie said, knowing full well of Kyle's ways. He had no heart, and didn't mind stepping over anyone to get what he wanted. Maxie was just one of the long list of people who had fallen for his rich boy charm, she wouldn't be the last. If Georgie had her way, however, Kyle would never have a chance to do the same thing to Maxie ever again. Georgie scooted forward and hugged Maxie, "You can do so much better than Kyle."  
  
"You don't know that!" Maxie yelled.  
  
"Yes, I do!" Georgie quickly countered, "Maxie, you're beautiful, kind, and despite how you sometimes act, a lot smarter than you or anyone else gives you credit for! There are so many guys that would be lucky to have you. even if it was just as a friend."  
  
"I loved him, Georgie," Maxie stated softly, "I loved Kyle so much, and he didn't care."  
  
Georgie grabbed her sister's hand, "He didn't care because he doesn't feel the same way. I told you from the beginning that Kyle was only using you. Maxie, you can't spend your whole life thinking that you love someone who doesn't love you back, that isn't true love! Look at how I was with Lucas. I did everything in my power to make myself look better for him. I convinced myself that I loved him, and that I only wanted to be with him," She smiled as she thought back to her extremely naïve ways, they seemed like they were a lifetime away when they were in fact only years prior, "But then I met Dillon, and I learned what love really is. It isn't something that you can feel for one person and not have them feel back. You were infatuated with Kyle, for reasons that I can't understand now and will likely never understand as long as I live. But you didn't love him."  
  
"If I didn't love him. why does it hurt so much?"  
  
Georgie was quiet, struggling for an answer she didn't have, "The only one who can answer that is you, Maxie. Your heart is hurting, and it will continue to hurt until you come to terms with what happened with Kyle."  
  
"I hate it when you're right," Maxie muttered.  
  
Georgie laughed softly, "I hate it when I'm right and it causes you pain." She got off the bed and walked towards the door, "If you need me I'll be in my room."  
  
"Georgie."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Thanks." Georgie smiled as she walked out of Maxie's room. Maxie stared at the door, brushing away the tears that continued to pour down her cheeks. Her sister was right, Kyle didn't love her. It was a hard revelation, one that a part of her still refused to accept, but in her mind she knew it was true. She walked over to a picture of Kyle that was on her mirror. She picked the picture off the mirror and put it in her hands. With one final look she dropped it in the garbage nearby, "You've gotten the last tears you will ever get from me, Kyle Radcliffe." She swallowed hard as she moved back to her bed and got under the covers.  
  
Outside Kelly's-  
  
Damian stood outside, armed with the information of who his father was, with the proof that he was a Corinthos. He thought of himself with that name, Damian Corinthos. He shook his head, it didn't fit. Seeing his father and the way he worked made it quickly obvious that it wasn't something he wanted to be associated with. A last name was something that to most people would seem trivial, but to him it was the most important thing on his mind at the moment. The emotional strain of the day was quickly getting to him. All he wanted was to plop himself down on that bed and just forget everything that had happened. He knew that it was a dream that would never come to pass. Anything short of a lobotomy or utter insanity would not make him forget, and he rather liked having his sanity and his brain. He would have to deal with it, however begrudgingly. Damian put his hand in his pocket and fished for his keys. When one pocket turned up with nothing more than lint he tried the other. It was met with an equal amount of non- success. He looked in the window and saw the keys on the table that he was sitting at when he decided to chase after Sonny. He knew it was painfully late and he did not want to disturb the other tenants that lived above Kelly's, but he had no other options. "Batting a thousand today, aren't you, Damian?" He asked himself in a sheer mocking tone. He had no other options, so he left.  
  
General Hospital-  
  
Sonny still waited on the sofa, as if he wanted more. He and Carly knew that they weren't going to get it. She still stayed with him, her arms wrapped around his side, leaning her head on his shoulder. "He shouldn't have left like that."  
  
"He's reacting the same way I would if the situation was reversed. When I saw Mike again for the first time I was so furious. Everything boiled up the minute I saw him, the pain, the anger, the sadness. I saw that in Damian earlier." He turned his eyes up, "I saw myself."  
  
"Come on, Sonny," Carly said as she dragged her husband up, "You've got a lot on your mind. It's late, we're both tired. Let's go home and get some rest."  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
He knocked on the door, not caring what time it was. He didn't knock hard. The blond woman who had walked in just as they had left earlier in the day was still there. She opened the door and looked at him, "Can I help you?"  
  
"I need some place to stay for the night."  
  
Courtney's eyebrow went up, "And I should let you into this house because?"  
  
"Sonny wouldn't just let me stay out in the cold."  
  
"What makes you think that you know my brother so well?"  
  
Brother? "You're his sister?"  
  
"I'm the one asking the questions here," Courtney replied, "Who are you?"  
  
"Damian. I was here a few hours ago, when Sonny's wife went to go get you."  
  
"I remember."  
  
"I don't mean to be rude, but I've spent the last few hours of my life basically being a nervous wreck. Can I please just sit down?"  
  
Courtney opened the door and let him in, "If Sonny wants you to leave I'm going to make sure that you're gone."  
  
"I don't think he'll kick me out."  
  
"You're awfully confident."  
  
"I don't mean to sound full of myself," Damian stated, "But I'd certain have a hard time making my son sleep in the cold on the first day we had met. Then again I've got a certain degree of morals that Sonny doesn't appear to have."  
  
"I don't need to justify my brother's actions to a complete stranger, but he is a very honorable man."  
  
"And a good father?" Damian quickly asked.  
  
"He loves his children, if that's what you're asking."  
  
"All of them?"  
  
"What are you hinting at?" Courtney was sick of this game they were playing. If provoked enough she had a temper that mirrored that of her brother.  
  
"I didn't expect to see you so soon," Sonny came in with Carly close behind. Both Damian and Courtney looked at the couple.  
  
"In my rush to speak with you I happened to leave my keys on the table at Kelly's," Damian said, "I need a place to crash for the night."  
  
Sonny looked at him for a second before he nodded, "Whatever you need."  
  
Carly was shocked, "Sonny. you're letting him stay here?"  
  
Sonny turned to his wife, "He's been here for one day, Carly. He has no friends, but he has family."  
  
"Or do you have a problem with that?" Damian asked Carly.  
  
"What I have a problem with is the way that you're treating my husband. You come here and throw this entire family's life into chaos without thinking about anything that we might be going through."  
  
"Right, because it's so easy for me to deal with this. I'm sure that it's so simple for me to erase twenty years of my life and start from scratch."  
  
Courtney paced over to her brother's side, "Sonny, what is he talking about?"  
  
"You didn't tell her?"  
  
Damian shrugged his shoulders, "It isn't my place to tell her."  
  
"Damian's my son, Courtney."  
  
Courtney was understandably shocked, "What are you talking about?"  
  
"I'll explain everything later," Sonny said, "For now I just want to get some rest."  
  
Courtney looked at Carly for some help, but she wasn't getting any. "Thank you for staying here on such short notice, Courtney. I wish you didn't have to," She looked over at Damian, "I really wish you didn't have to. I promise that everything will make more sense tomorrow."  
  
"Goodnight, Aunt Courtney," Damian's voice didn't even hide his sarcasm. Courtney threw him a dirty look before she shut the door and walked across the hall.  
  
Carly focused her attentions on Damian yet again, "Look, your father might let you get away with stomping all over his family, but you are not going to do that around me, especially not in my house!"  
  
"Carly," Sonny's voice showed that he wanted her to stop, "I'd like a moment alone with my son, please." A few moments later they were both gone, "She's right, you know. I'm not going to say that I don't deserve anything that you've got to throw at me, kid. I'm probably more deserving of it than anyone else on the entire planet right now. But my little sister has nothing to do with the problem that you've got with me. She deserves to be treated with respect, do you understand me?"  
  
"How'd you get a sister like that?"  
  
"My father got around, that's all you need to know."  
  
"Like father like son."  
  
Sonny smiled, "You think you're so clever, don't you? If you think that I'm just going to stand around here and get abused because you feel that I deserve to be punished for everything that happened to you while you were growing up you're wrong. I'm going to give you a lot more slack than I would if I were trying to act like your father, but don't try and cross the line with me, you wouldn't like it." He got up in his son's face, "Do we have an understanding?" Damian nodded, "We do."  
  
"Good," Sonny started to walk upstairs, "Blanket's are in the closet, hope you find the couch comfortable."  
  
When Damian was alone he shook his head. He was raised to be better than that. He had no right to attack Courtney like that. but he couldn't help it. For the first time in a long time he let his anger get the better of him. It had gotten him his father's disapproval. It had gotten a disapproval all his own as well. 


	10. Parallels With Disney

Notes- The movie that is spoke of in this section is not a movie that I am particularly fond of, but I was looking for a way to put it in kid terms. so it worked. Personally my favorite is The Sword in the Stone but. anyway. 10th chapter, wee!  
  
Shamira- Sorry I didn't get to all of your review last time (it wasn't showing up on the review record, and I was going on my memory of what you wrote), so I'll finish it here. Michael is a very unique child. He's got this odd innocence and maturity that I find enthralling. Like the 12/10/03 episode where he asked if Santa would know where to find him because he'd have a new name. Dylan Cash (the actor) made that line so touching that my jaw dropped. As for Morgan, at first I didn't really have an opinion of him, but now I think he's pretty cute, too. Much like you I am a Sonny addict, I just cannot find anything about that man I don't enjoy, and that includes writing him. He's so multi-dimensional. it's great. Carly's fun, too. Hell, they all are.  
  
I think that about covers it. Until the next update, enjoy!  
  
Story-  
  
Lorenzo's home-  
  
Even though it was early in the morning and he had no plans of leaving the house anytime soon, Lorenzo Alcazar looked posh as ever. His lifestyle made leaving the house unless it was an absolute necessity dangerous. It was even more dangerous than normal now that he had decided to stake a claim in the city of Port Charles. He had many places to live the world over, but none of them had what he truly desired. None of them had Carly. She had claimed that she hated him many times, and that she would never speak to him ever again. Yet she would constantly find herself drawn to him, like a moth to a flame. It showed that they had a unique bond. One forged of hate yet shaped in love. Carly could deny it all she wanted, but the fact remained that some part of her cared for him. He would stay in the city until that part of Carly's being took over, until her heart belonged to him. Courting Carly was a very complicated process. One that he found was highly sporadic. If anything showed during her past relationships it was that she could somehow find love through a relationship that was started through hatred. Sonny was at one time a nemesis, and now he was the father of both her children, in mind and soul if not body. Yet she was not content with merely being Mrs. Sonny Corinthos, Carly would forever be her own woman. That was as much a virtue as it was a weakness. Her desire to be true to herself could be used as a way to end Sonny's relationship with her.  
  
Still, while Carly would always be at the top of his mind, the reason for everything that he had been doing since he aided Ric Lansing in her capture and long captivity in the panic room, he had business that needed to be taken care of. He moved through the memos that had been sent to him over the night. They were the usual documentations. A contract for a murder, a weapons deal, a drug run. the life that Luis had gotten himself so engrossed in was now his own life as well. While he went into the business with more than a bit of restraint, he was now finding himself attracted to aspects that he never thought he would like before. Women can change men, but the question was if it were for better or for worse.  
  
There was a faint knocking at his door. His guards wouldn't let anyone through if they felt that a threat was posed to his life. "Come in!" He yelled. The door opened as Lorenzo waited to see who had decided to pay him a visit. It was the man he paid to keep him informed of any happenings at General Hospital. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I felt that I had information that you would find very useful."  
  
"You know that if we are seen together it could cost you both your jobs, if not your life."  
  
The man shook his head, "I would have called, but the hospital is busy at the moment, it is impossible for me to get some time alone in which to place the call. I had to make up some excuse to get an hour off."  
  
Lorenzo put the papers down on the desk, "Fine, what is it?"  
  
"Sonny Corinthos has yet another heir."  
  
Lorenzo thought about it, "Carly can't already be pregnant, Morgan is only months old."  
  
"She is not pregnant, Mr. Alcazar," The man brought out a document and gave it to Lorenzo, "This is a photocopy of the hospital record, taken only hours ago. It appears that Corinthos has a son that he was not aware of."  
  
Lorenzo eyed the document carefully. It clearly stated the names of Michael Corinthos and Damian Zuniga, conforming that Michael, Sonny's birth name, was the father. Lorenzo closed the manila folder and placed it amongst the rest. His nonchalant attitude did not mean that he was not interested in the findings that lay inside. He was quite interested. "How old?"  
  
"Twenty years old."  
  
"Any other information?" Lorenzo wondered.  
  
"None that I am aware of, Mr. Alcazar."  
  
Lorenzo rubbed his chin, "My men will see that you are rewarded for this information. Keep me updated of anything that may occur. I want records on this boy. Anything on Damian Zuniga that you can find. make sure it comes into my hands as quickly as possible."  
  
"Of course, Mr. Alcazar."  
  
As soon as the door closed Lorenzo was left alone to contemplate the possibilities. Another Corinthos for him to stomp upon. But there were other options as well, ones that he felt would be more bountiful to him. If he could turn this child against Sonny he would have an insider. One who Sonny would consider to be part of his inner circle. Before Johnny was caught as a double agent Lorenzo had some idea of what Corinthos was planning, but if he could use Sonny's own son against him the rewards could be highly advantageous. Sonny was such a blind and proud man, he would never expect his own child to be working for the enemy. He refused to see what was in front of him when it came to Carly, this wouldn't be that much of a stretch. Lorenzo poured himself a drink and smiled. The hell he had made for Sonny so far had just begun, if the plans he had running in his head were put into motion Sonny and his empire would be destroyed.  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
The energetic red-headed boy bolted down the stairs. He hadn't checked his parent's room yet, it could wait a minute. It came as a shock to him when he saw a strange person sleeping on the couch. With the curiosity and carelessness that only a child could have, Michael watched the stranger sleep. He sneezed and it caused Damian to stir. Michael's eyes went wide as he saw that his action had awoken the slumbering person and he ran up the stairs, into his parent's room. He quickly rushed to his father, "Daddy, daddy!"  
  
Sonny felt the rapid shaking that his child was giving him. He groaned and without his eyes opened spoke, "What's wrong, buddy? You have a bad dream?"  
  
"No," Michael stated, "But there's somebody sleeping on the couch downstairs!"  
  
By now Michael's franticness had also woke Carly up. She brought herself up and looked over Sonny's back, "Did he hurt you?"  
  
Michael shook his head. Sonny forced himself out of bed and grabbed his son's hand, "Would you feel safer if I went down there with you?"  
  
"Yeah," The boy answered, gripping his father's hand like it was a lifesaver.  
  
"Come on then," Sonny groggily walked his son back down the stairs.  
  
Carly was still in bed. It took her a minute before her mind began to register everything that was going on. The memories flooded back like they had never gone anywhere. Damian. He was still downstairs. What had he done to scare her child so much?  
  
"There he is!" Michael yelled as he saw Damian leaning his head against the side of the couch, his finger pointed.  
  
Sonny almost laughed, but he stifled the sound, not wanting to embarrass Michael. With a warm smile he picked his son up, "I'm proud of you, Mike. You saw someone that you didn't know in the house and you came up and found me or mommy. You did just what we told you to do if something like this happened."  
  
"Who is he, daddy?" Michael asked, gripping his father around the neck.  
  
It was cute, but Michael was also slowly causing Sonny to breathe less. Sonny pried the small hands from around his neck, "Sorry about that."  
  
Damian chuckled, "Don't be, he's just a kid, I understand."  
  
Michael refused to look at Damian, his head safely buried against Sonny's shoulder. "Mike, you don't need to be afraid of him."  
  
Michael brought his head up, "I don't?" He asked, perplexed.  
  
Sonny shook his head, "This is Damian. He's daddy's son, just like you."  
  
Michael shot a look between both of them, focusing on his father once more, "If he's your son how come I've never seen him before? Never even seen him in a picture."  
  
Sonny struggled to find a way to explain such a complex subject, which even he didn't entirely understand himself, to his son. "You remember Bambi?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Remember how at the very end Bambi saw his father for the first time?"  
  
"After his mommy died?"  
  
Sonny couldn't help but look over at Damian. To his credit Damian didn't even appear to be moved at the chillingly similar analogy. Sonny wondered if he was just hiding it, and secretly wished that he had picked a better way to explain everything. "After everything. Damian and I didn't know that we were family until last night. That's why I never told you about him and he never came over for Christmas and other holidays. I didn't know until a little while ago." Sonny put Michael down, "But you don't need to be afraid of him, buddy. He's family." Sonny was silent, not entirely sure he wanted to say what he was going to, but knowing that Michael would feel more comfortable if it was said, "He's your big brother."  
  
Michael walked over and sat on the other end of the couch, "I'm sorry that I ran away."  
  
Damian smiled, "I didn't mean to scare you. I'm not that ugly, am I?"  
  
Michael laughed, "You're funny."  
  
"I try to be."  
  
"Is your mommy here, too?" Michael asked, still oblivious to everything that had happened.  
  
"Michael, you shouldn't ask questions like that," Sonny firmly stated.  
  
Damian waved a hand at Sonny, "Its okay, I don't mind him asking. No, Michael, my mom isn't here."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because she died a long time ago."  
  
"Like Emily's mom?"  
  
"A little help here," Damian requested of his father.  
  
"Emily is his Uncle's sister. Her mom died fighting breast cancer."  
  
"Yeah," Damian told Michael, "My mom died like Emily's mom."  
  
"I'm sorry," Michael was genuinely sad, despite meeting Damian only minutes ago, "But daddy's still alive! And you can live here, and we can be a family, and my mommy can be your mommy, too!"  
  
"That's very nice of you to offer, Michael. But it isn't that simple. Your mom and dad have a life, it wouldn't be right of me to just intrude."  
  
"Isn't that what you've already done?" Carly asked as she walked down the stairs. She had heard Michael's offer as well. The selflessness of her boy had done her proud, but she wasn't ready to offer her family to an outsider, Sonny's son or not.  
  
"I have a right to build a meaningful relationship with my father," Damian countered.  
  
"It isn't a package deal, kid," Carly said, her voice filled with a venomous tone.  
  
Sonny shot a look at his wife, "Carly!"  
  
Michael was even more confused now than ever, "Mommy? You don't like Damian?"  
  
Carly quickly realized the impression that she was giving her son. While it was true that she wasn't very fond of Damian, she didn't want Michael thinking so. Especially since they were bound to meet up a few more times, as long as he stayed in Port Charles. She struggled for an answer until she heard Morgan crying upstairs, "I'm going to check on the baby," She was back upstairs within the blink of an eye.  
  
"I should go," Damian quickly got off the couch and folded the blanket that he had used for the night  
  
"You're leaving already?" Michael asked, his voice showing how reluctant he was. He didn't want his new big brother to leave already.  
  
Damian walked over and rustled Michael's hair with his hand. He always wanted to do that. Always wanted a little brother, "We'll see each other again."  
  
"You don't have to leave so soon, you know," Sonny said, trying to stop Damian from already leaving, "Carly," He stopped himself and searched for the words, "She just needs some time to adjust to everything that has happened. We all do."  
  
Damian was already tying his shoes, "I need to make sure that no one took my keys from where I left them last night. Besides, I could use a shower and all my clothes are at my apartment." He headed towards the door, "Bye, Sonny, thanks for letting me stay here for the night."  
  
The door closed and Sonny looked at it. He couldn't believe his wife. Even if she felt that strongly about it. to show it in front of Michael was irresponsible. He wouldn't yell at her, they had promised not to fight in front of Michael, and now with Morgan as well, they had to be careful. Michael started to walk upstairs. Sonny called to him, "I'm sorry, Mike."  
  
"I'm going to go play with my toys," Michael said blankly. He was so hurt by what had happened, he was usually so happy, especially this early in the morning. Sonny had a lot to work on.  
  
Kelly's-  
  
Elizabeth was beaming with happiness. She and Ric had an excellent night on the town. They laughed and talked about the good times. There really weren't that many in their relationship, it was always muddled with everything that Ric brought with him. Still, the way both of them looked on those bright lights with such fondness showed how special they were to both of them. Even though logic and past suggested that it was only going to be a matter of time before something happened again, she hoped that they could find something with each other again. She was falling in love again.  
  
Damian had ran back to Kelly's from the penthouse. He needed to get as far away as possible. Michael was a nice boy, but he knew he wasn't welcome. He opened the door and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He looked at the table that he was sitting at the night before and saw that the keys were gone. Elizabeth whistled and dangled them, "Looking for these?"  
  
He smiled and walked over, "Good, I was hoping no one stole them."  
  
"You forget them on the table before you went for a run or something?"  
  
"I wish. I forgot them on the table last night and I went out. When I came back it was already late and the place was closed."  
  
"You were locked out?" She asked, feeling pity for this new kid who was already having a string of bad luck. "Well where'd you stay overnight?"  
  
With pain in his voice from his recollection of everything that just happened he answered her. "Someplace I shouldn't have." 


	11. Visits

My love for my reviewers is so great! Just thought I'd tell you both that. Thank you both so much! I've also realized that fanfiction.net doesn't like ellipses very much, so I have to stop using them, which isn't fun because I like using them. Alas, some things cannot be helped.  
  
Chicpinay- The secret to my updating so fast is that I have no life. Rarely do I vacate my seat and venture to the world that is spoke of, this so called 'outside'. I also work on at least one chapter a day (With this chapter about to be posted I think I'm three ahead in my writing) while I can. Finals start next week and I should study for them. I probably won't, but I should. Yes, little Michael is too damned adorable! He won some kid award for best actor in a drama this year. Well deserved I say! Carly's apparently changed a lot from when she first came to PC, this is true. From what I've read and heard about through other sources she was really bad at first. What was forgotten can easily be remembered if she feels it is needed, though. Thank you, I'm trying to use as many characters as possible without going overboard. There will still be some more, but they will likely have bit parts. For the most part the core cast has already been involved. Unless I get an idea and start running with it, of course.  
  
Shamira- It's never been strictly a girl thing, despite what cultural stereotypes may tell us otherwise! I was much like your brother until July of this year, though. I thought that soaps were for girls (except primetime soaps, Dynasty has been and will forever be my god), but with nothing else to do all summer long and soapnet right there. I started watching GH at midnight and got hooked. I came back up here to college and have at least gotten my friends to not hate it that much. They've even started quoting Luke from time to time. It makes me feel good it does. Yes, getting into the minds of the three was a lot of fun and quite rewarding. Bobbie's great, although at times I can't understand what Jackie's saying, her accent is so thick that I'm often left going "huh?" Funny thing about Kyle, I got some other people that I talk to online to start watching the show and they're both like, "Kyle is sooooo good looking!" I told them that he's pretty much gotten the shaft as I haven't seen him since September on the show. Good riddance do I say to that. But he'll still have a part in this story. Courtney, being my favorite on the show, needed something more to do, so she and Damian got their moment together. I've always felt that Sonny can take all the abuse in the world but if you go and try it on one of his family members (sans Ric) he'll get pissed. A pissed Sonny is not a good thing. Lorenzo might be plotting something, but who is to say that it will come to pass? Perhaps another option will come to him, one he didn't see but will enjoy nonetheless. I am glad that you enjoy how I am writing all the characters. Thank you for your input!  
  
Well, now that everything has been taken care of, I present to you the latest part in my little dramedy (drama/comedy). I do hope you enjoy!  
  
Story-  
  
The Cellar-  
  
Faith sat on one of the stools in her bar, the base of her operations. Zander wasn't out of bed yet. She smiled when she thought about it. Given what she gave him last night, he wouldn't be out of bed till much later in the day. He'd remember everything though. She had to admit that here current slab of meat certainly was mighty fulfilling. She would have to thank Emily one day for making Zander into a wounded puppy, ripe for her pickings. It never ceased to amaze the widow as to how easily women could systematically break down the entirety of the male population. But I being a female gave her more power. who was she to complain? Every day she thanked her common sense for not shooting Zander that day he was drunk on the docks. The permanent and quick solution wasn't worth all the fun she got to have with him! She wasn't anywhere near done with him yet. But when she was he'd be tossed to the curb like all the rest. It hardly seemed fair to the poor guy. Not that she cared.  
  
"Alone without protection, Faith? You really are too careless for your own good."  
  
"I was never a very big fan of protection. The men would just rather go without it and I never did like that synthetic feel." Faith turned around and smiled at Jason, "What have we here? If it isn't Pinocchio!" She put her finger over her lips, "Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be making cultural references around you, at least not ones that would require you remembering what it was like growing up. Let me spell it out for you, Pinocchio was a puppet that got his strings cut. Much like you and Sonny."  
  
Jason showed no emotion, because he had none. He knew that Faith liked to play with everyone's mind, and he wouldn't let her do it to him. "I heard you had a meeting with Sonny yesterday."  
  
"Word gets around fast here, doesn't it?" Faith asked, pretending to pout and look like an innocent girl, which wouldn't fool anyone who had even heard of the woman and her reputation. Obviously it wasn't going to fool Jason. But Faith was looking for some fun, nothing more. Jason was a lot of fun, she would have to admit that.  
  
"That's not the point."  
  
Faith giggled as she walked closer to Jason, "Then what is the point?"  
  
"Stay away from Sonny and his family, Faith," Jason said forcefully, "He's not in the business anymore and his family is no longer going to be used as a way to get him knocked off. If you continue to pursue Sonny and make any idle threats I will see to it that you are taken out. Everything that you've done since you've come here is nothing compared to what I can do, Faith. You're trying to learn how to do things too fast, and you're going to make a lot of stupid mistakes. A lot more than you already have."  
  
"I'd like to see what you could do, Jason," Faith said seductively, "Why not show me?" She knocked back a few of the glasses that were on the counter, they shattered on the floor, "You don't need to be so modest. Believe me when I tell you that it wouldn't be the first time this tabletop has been a part in the thralls of passion." She sat on the counter and crossed her legs. Jason did not look enthused at all, "We both know that Courtney is much more Jason Quartermaine's style. Prim and proper, only looking to please mommy, daddy, and that reanimated corpse Edward. Cute, innocent little Courtney Matthews and the prodigal son. Now, Jason Morgan, on the other hand, he likes them naughty. And they don't get any naughtier than me!"  
  
"Do you ever get tired of hearing yourself talk?"  
  
Faith threw her head back in delight, "Nope. But I don't enjoy it nearly as much as you enjoy being the strong silent solider boy. If you ever get tired of little miss innocence, and I'm sure that one day you will, give me a call. I can always make time for a piece of you." Jason turned around and walked up the stairs, leaving Faith alone. She looked at the shattered pieces of glass, "And I bet he expects me to clean this mess up."  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
The door to the nursery was closed, but it wasn't locked. Sonny pushed it open and saw his wife sitting in the rocking chair with their son in her arms. He didn't smile but he thought it was a very beautiful scene. Carly looked her best when she was being motherly, "Care to explain what just happened downstairs?"  
  
Carly exchanged glances between Morgan and Sonny, "I just put the baby back to sleep, yelling will only wake him up and make him fussy again."  
  
"Carly, you can't use our son as a defense mechanism in order to avoid talking about what happened."  
  
Carly sighed. She knew he wasn't going to give up on this. It didn't surprise her. "Can I please just put Morgan back in his crib?" Carly placed the infant under his blanket and kissed him on the forehead. She walked out of the room, Sonny close behind her.  
  
They were in their room only a few moments later. Sonny shut the door. He didn't want to yell at her, but it could happen. He started off as calmly as possible, "Why did you act like that?"  
  
"Sonny, you let that boy into our home after barely meeting him only a few hours before, and then the next morning you're telling our son that he has a big brother?"  
  
"Are you saying that Michael isn't my son?"  
  
"What?" She asked in shock, "Sonny, you know that you're the only father I want for Michael, now and forever! Why would you ask something like that?"  
  
"You're the one making it seem like my son isn't good enough to be our son's brother. If Michael is our son, yours and mine, then Damian would be his brother, right?"  
  
"It's more complicated than that!"  
  
Sonny shook his head, "No, Carly, it isn't. I want Damian to feel comfortable around all of us. Me, You, Michael, Jason, Mike, Courtney, Bobbie, everyone. He's my son and I won't see him treated like he's some outsider."  
  
"He is an outsider, Sonny!" Carly pointed out, "He doesn't know anything about you, about who you are, about what you do. Are you just going to throw him into your life like that?"  
  
"I don't do anything anymore, remember? I'm out, totally out! No more guns, no more kidnapping, no more violence! I want life to be safe for my family, that includes my sons, all three of them."  
  
"You're not thinking about this clearly!"  
  
"What is your problem with Damian?" Sonny asked, "Why are you trying to make me stay away from him?"  
  
"Because I don't want you to get hurt, Sonny. We've both been in Damian's shoes before. We both know what it's like to come into this place and find our natural parents. We both know the hatred and mistrust that comes with knowing that the person who didn't care enough to stay in your life growing up is still alive and right around the corner. If you think that you can get a meaningful relationship with Damian right away you're only going to end up hurting yourself. Telling Michael that he has a new big brother, seeing how happy he was at the mere thought of the idea. Do you really want to look our son in the face when your son isn't around to play with him? When your son ignores everything that happens in our lives because he's bitter about the past?" Carly watched her husband's eyes. She knew what they were showing her. Sonny was thinking about what she had said, taking it to heart. She hoped that she would win.  
  
Sonny quickly turned for the door, "It won't happen that way."  
  
"How can you be so sure?"  
  
"Because I won't let it!" Sonny stated, "I messed up twenty years ago when I consummated a child with a woman I didn't even know. I can't make up for that time but I'll be damned if I let it affect the rest of our lives!"  
  
"Where are you going?" She asked.  
  
"Kelly's. He's renting an apartment from your mother. Where else could he be?"  
  
"Sonny!" She called out, following him down the stairs and out the door to the elevator. He heard her calling him, but knew that she would only attempt to stop him from doing what he knew he needed to do. The only way they were going to be a family is if they weren't separated by the hate, by the lack of trust. His relationship with his own father had been damaged to a degree that would never recover because they were never open about the problems they had early enough. He couldn't say if it was too late for him and Damian, but the sooner the patchwork began the better.  
  
Carly was now in tears. Her plea to keep her family had fallen on her husband's deaf ears. She rushed over to the other side of the hallway and almost pounded on Courtney's door. She was more thankful than she had been in quite some time that her best friend lived only feet away. "Please be home. Please, please be home," She whispered to herself.  
  
Courtney was alone. Jason had left earlier in the morning. She walked down the stairs when she heard the knocking. She hadn't told Jason about what had happened the night before, mostly because she didn't have any answers to the questions that he would likely ask. She opened the door and saw Carly, tears running down her cheeks, sitting down near the door. "Oh my God," She muttered. Carly was usually a strong woman, when she was reduced to being only a few steps above curling into a ball, things were usually pretty bad. "Carly," She hurried to her knees and put her arm around Carly's back, "Carly, what's wrong?"  
  
"I'm afraid."  
  
"Of what?"  
  
"Of that boy!"  
  
"Damian? Why?"  
  
"Courtney, he comes into our lives and just sends us all spinning. Sonny's hell bent on making sure that the same thing that happened between him and Mike doesn't happen with Damian. I don't want him in our lives."  
  
"You're just worried," Courtney replied in a sympathetic tone, "You don't know anything about him aside from that he's here and he's Sonny's son. I'm not very fond of the boy at the moment either, but I can give him the time to change that opinion."  
  
"I just keep thinking about Ric," Carly said in between sobs, "He came and almost took our baby from us. Everything he did was because he had some revenge plot against my husband, because his sick mind made him think that everything bad in his life had been caused by Sonny. I see the same look in Damian's eyes that I did in Ric's. I can't help but shake this feeling that he's going to try something. That he's going to gain everyone's trust and then turn on us. He could hurt any one of us, he could hurt my children."  
  
Courtney hugged Carly. Her concerns were well justified, if only a bit overdramatic. The trauma that she had endured while she was locked away in Ric's panic room was still fresh in her mind, it was only logical that she would have flashes to that when she thought of the possibilities. "We won't let that happen to you or the kids, Carly. Jason and I will make sure that he doesn't hurt anyone." She wiped away some of Carly's tears, "In the meantime we have to be there for Sonny. We have to act like we support whatever actions he's going to take, even if we don't. I can do it, can you?"  
  
"I, I don't know."  
  
Near Kelly's-  
  
Sonny was walking as fast as he could without looking like a possessed madman towards Kelly's. He didn't even notice Jason around the corner, his mind so set on talking to his son.  
  
Jason, however, noticed him. "Sonny?"  
  
Sonny stopped and turned around, "Sorry, Jase, I can't talk right now."  
  
Jason noticed that Sonny wasn't in his normal attire. He almost never left the house under anything but the most dire of circumstances without getting dressed in one of his suits. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Like I said, I can't talk right now." Sonny continued towards Kelly's, Jason followed close behind.  
  
Kelly's-  
  
Elizabeth saw the face of her ex-brother-in-law as he walked towards the door. She hated that Ric had let his quest for Sonny's demise ruin their marriage, but she also wasn't very fond of Sonny himself. She didn't believe that he had cost them the child that she was carrying, but she knew that Sonny's life had almost cost her Ric's life on multiple occasions. A few times it happened when she wished Ric were dead, but she knew that it was nothing more than her lashing out in pain at the man that she was starting to love again.  
  
He entered and paced over to her. "Elizabeth, do you know which room Damian Zuniga lives in?"  
  
"Damian?" She was surprised that he had already met Sonny, and even more surprised that he had made an impression that would make Sonny come looking for him. "Number four," She answered, knowing that it was his because it was the number that was on the key that she had found. He hurried up the stairs when it dawned on her, maybe he was in trouble? Had he already made an enemy of Sonny Corinthos?  
  
Jason walked in, "Elizabeth, where's Sonny?"  
  
Elizabeth looked at her old flame. Even though Sonny and Jason worked together she would always feel much safer and less tense around him. The life he led often hid how gentle he could be, but she knew that it was inside him. She had seen it many times, they were cherished memories. "Upstairs, do you have any idea what's going on?"  
  
Jason shook his head, "I was hoping that you would."  
  
"Sonny doesn't confide in me, Jason," She bluntly stated, "He came in here and asked where Damian-"  
  
"Damian? Who's Damian?"  
  
"A college student, he just moved in two days ago. I figured if Sonny knew him you would."  
  
"I have no idea who he is," Jason said, "But what could Sonny want with someone who has only been here for two days?"  
  
Upstairs-  
  
Sonny pounded on the door. On the other side Damian had just gotten out of the shower and was drying his hair, nothing more than a pair of pants and a tank top on. He reached for the knob, wondering who it could be. He saw his father on in the doorway, "Sonny? What are you doing here?"  
  
"You're coming home."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Pack your bags," Sonny ordered, "You're coming to live with me." 


	12. Hope

To my new reviewers, thanks!  
  
Sarah- I hope this update is soon enough to please you.  
  
Shadow- Don't worry about spelling his name wrong, a few of my other reviewers have done the same, its okay. This MIGHT be corny, the way I have set it up, but I certainly hope it doesn't sound that bad. Still, that is not for me to judge, that is for you and the other readers. You haven't annoyed me, and thank you for the praise, it makes me happy.  
  
Story-  
  
Damian couldn't help but laugh at Sonny. It wasn't an uproarious laugh in his face, but he did get quite the chuckle out of it. Had Sonny just expected him to jump at his order? That wasn't his style. But there was a look in his father's eyes that he saw. One that burned him to the core. The laughter quickly faded. "You're serious about that?"  
  
"I'm rarely ever not serious, and I certainly wouldn't be here looking like this if I was just playing a game with you."  
  
Damian shook his head, "I'm not going back to your place, Sonny."  
  
"It's not my place anymore. It's our place."  
  
Damian walked over to the bed and sat down, "Look, I appreciate the offer. Really, I do. But I saw how your wife looked at me. I heard the way she talked to me. Carly doesn't want me in your life, and she sure as hell wouldn't be open to me living with you."  
  
"Carly just needs some time to adjust. We all do."  
  
"Would that adjustment time be better spent apart than together? We've been ripping each other to shreds since we got those results-"  
  
Sonny was quick to interrupt, "No, you've been ripping me to shreds, I've just been taking the hits."  
  
Damian smirked, "Point to you. Still, I don't want to expose Michael to a bunch of yelling between us, or worse, between his mother and I. Sonny, you're not thinking this through."  
  
"Yes, I am," Sonny calmly replied as he sat on the end of the bed, "As much as I hate to have been away from you for your life I know I can't make it up, and I know what you're feeling. I felt the same way about my father after he ran out on me and my mom. Be thankful you didn't have to live with an abusive step-father for years, because I'd rather live in a single parent home than deal with that guy again. When I did find out that Mike was alive and around here I did nothing to patch things up with him. The hurt was still there, still fresh in my mind, and I wasn't ready to let go. I'll never forgive my father for what he did, for deserting me when I needed him, but a part of me really wishes that I could. Damian, I don't care if it takes me the rest of my life, but I don't want you to have so much hate for me that you could never forgive me. My father might be able to live with that guilt, but I never could. I'm sure that the only way we can become civil with one another, build a better relationship between the two of us, is if we don't spend so much time avoiding each other."  
  
"You had an abusive step-father?" Damian was seeing something that he never thought he would see in his father: a human side. Sonny was pouring himself out to this boy based only on the fact that they were blood related. He didn't know Damian, and the same could be said the other way around, but he was telling his son things that he wouldn't tell people who he did know. Damian was able to focus on who Sonny was as a person, not as who Sonny was as a father and was never there. The boy sighed and plopped his head back on his pillow, "I don't know, Sonny. You're asking me to help make a choice that will touch more than just the two of us, and you know that some of those other people are not going to just live with one of the outcomes willingly. Aren't you being a little selfish?"  
  
"I know I'm right, and in time they'll know I was right as well."  
  
"I signed a lease for the school year on this apartment."  
  
"I have more than enough money to keep the lease unbroken. I can pay for this place while you come and live at home."  
  
"Stop that!" Damian jerked his head back up, "Stop calling it home! It isn't home, not for me. Even if I tried to let it become home, it might not be possible."  
  
"Why are you avoiding this so much?" Sonny wondered, "I'm giving you a chance to build relationships that will last you the rest of your life. You can see your brother's grow up, you can give any children you might have a grandfather. There's so much that can happen if you just give it the chance."  
  
"Like have my hopes crushed," Damian softly stated.  
  
"What?"  
  
Damian shook his head, "Nothing. It's just, when Michael was saying that Carly could fill in the gap that had been caused when my mom died. I thought about it. For a brief second I thought about the possibility of having someone that I could consider my mother again. But then she came in and basically said that I could never be a part of her family. And I believed her. I still do. Sonny, even if I do become more civil with your wife she might not ever see me as anything more than your son, the anomaly in her otherwise perfect family that can never go away. Michael's a smart kid. I know he'll pick up on the animosity. Maybe he'll resent me for making his mother unhappy. Or worse, he might do the same to you or her."  
  
"It won't be like that, Damian."  
  
He chuckled at his father's perceived ignorance, "And how can you be so sure?"  
  
"Because I know Carly better than I know a lot of other people," Sonny said, "I know what she's like, and I know that she thought that she would never fall in love with me, that she would always hate me. Now look at us. We've had more than our fair share of rough spots, sure, but we love each other, and it's a genuine love. She's hurt, angry and scared right now, but in time she won't be."  
  
"I wish I shared your confidence."  
  
"You'll never find out what could have happened unless you take those first steps towards it. Even if Carly never comes around, you'll always have me."  
  
"I would have never thought you could be so sincere about something unless you came here, Sonny." The boy sat up and walked to the dresser, "I may regret this, but you're right. If I don't do this now I'll always ask myself what could have happened if I did. I might regret it later, but it is the right choice."  
  
"You're coming home?" Sonny wondered.  
  
Damian nodded, "Yeah, I'm coming home."  
  
Sonny smiled and got up, looking around the room and noticing how bare it was, "You have some more things coming from Los Angeles soon?"  
  
Damian dropped his clothes on the bed, "No, this is all that I've got. We didn't have much money, and paying for mom's funeral only took away what little money we did have saved up."  
  
"I would have come," Sonny muttered, "If I knew, I would have come."  
  
Damian looked up from packing his things into his bag, which he had pulled out from under his bed, "It means a lot to me hearing you say that. I'm sure it means something to her, too." He zipped up the bag, his clothes messily stuffed inside. He never was the tidiest person on the planet, and he was only going to take them to the penthouse, so the clothes being folded didn't seem that important. "I've just got to get some things from the bathroom and I'll be ready."  
  
Downstairs-  
  
Elizabeth constantly found herself eyeing Jason. She still had feelings for him, she always would. But they were better suited being friends, and she realized that. What they had was great, but it was in the past. She couldn't do it anymore. She couldn't love him and worry every time she heard the sirens going that he was lying in a pool of his own blood, slowly dying without her there to hold his hand. He was just sitting at one of the tables, looking into the void. Some people, most people, would think that he was just being absentminded. She knew better, though. She knew that he was thinking about something. She put the plates down on a table where they were supposed to go and walked over, "Penny for your thoughts?"  
  
Jason turned his blue eyes up at her, "It's nothing, really."  
  
She sat down, "Jason, despite everything that has happened between the two of us over the years I still want to be your friend, and I still want you to think that you can trust me."  
  
"I do, Elizabeth," Jason replied.  
  
"Then why won't you tell me what you're thinking about? I've seen that look on your face plenty of times, I know what it means."  
  
"I'm trying to think about why Sonny would come here and talk to some college kid. I just can't see it happening. He's got so many other things to worry about, what makes this Damian so special?"  
  
"I don't know," Elizabeth answered as she turned around and watched Sonny come down the stairs. "But it looks like you might get your answer sooner than you thought."  
  
Jason stood up, "Sonny."  
  
"Sorry about earlier, Jason. I just needed to come here and talk to someone."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Courtney didn't tell you anything about last night?"  
  
"I woke her up to tell her that I was going out early in the morning, but she didn't mention anything." Jason's face didn't show his concern. He was very good at keeping a blank face. Jason saw a teenager walking down the stairs, his gaze shifting between the two.  
  
"Jason, this is Damian. He's my son."  
  
"What?" Jason asked, no longer able to keep a blank face. Elizabeth was also listening in. Her jaw dropped and she was very thankful that she did not have anything in her hands because they would likely be spilled all over the floor now. Sonny had another son?  
  
"I'll explain everything while we walk back to the penthouse."  
  
Damian saw that Elizabeth wasn't taking her eyes off of him. "Sonny, could you give me a minute?"  
  
Sonny nodded and walked outside, Jason close behind.  
  
Damian walked towards Elizabeth, "So, I take it you heard."  
  
"That you're Sonny's son?" Elizabeth lowered her voice as she finished her statement, "Yeah, I heard."  
  
"I'm going to stay with him and his family for awhile. He's really very persuasive and I think he genuinely wants to start building a relationship with me. It doesn't look like I'll be able to bug you while you work."  
  
She laughed softly, "You never bugged me, Damian. You even helped me make a decision that I'm very happy about. Just don't be a stranger. If you never ever need someone, even if it's just a friend, you know where I am most of the time."  
  
He smiled warmly, "I'll remember that."  
  
She watched him head towards the door before she called out to him, "One more thing, be careful." She walked back behind the counter as she watched them walk out of sight. Sonny's life wasn't the easiest to become adjusted to. She knew this personally. She didn't want to see Damian get hurt. There wasn't much she could do. She only hoped that he would find something that would make him happy. She could never find it. 


	13. Rich Boys Should Not Cook

Notes- Today's (12/15) episode knocked my socks off! So great!!! Faith, Skye, fight. muwahahaha. Dillon/Georgie break up, so sad. Carly confession, so beautiful. everything so great! But no Dillon/Sage here, Sage never came around. Not that I don't like her, but messing with GQ is cause for death, and I wouldn't dare dream of it!!  
  
Chicpinay- Yes, I too believe that writing is my life. I live a very sheltered life and enjoy expressing myself through writing, hence why I do it so much. As for doing it well, I guess I just got lucky. Faith is a great character, she'll show up again soon (I looked and I'm like 17 pages ahead of what I'm posting right now, with no intentions of posting more today. I need to keep the suspense, you know?) I wanted to make Carly's distrust of her new step-son something that is believable, especially given her character. It's hard not to love Carly, at least for me, regardless of what she does. I'm sorry that you felt I acted too fast, but I figured that Sonny would think he would need to hurry up and do anything in his power to sway his boy, even spill his guts out. As for Liz/Jason, I thought they were friends after the breakup, since I barely know about Brenda and didn't watch when she was around. I'm just really fortunate that my errors are actually things that don't end up with people wanting my head on a platter. Still, I'm sad that I wasn't aware of Liz/Jason's dissolving friendship. When I saw them together it didn't seem that way. Then again they really don't tend to have much time together on screen now that Ric's not really doing anything to irk Sonny every time we turn around. Ah well, some things cannot be helped.  
  
Story-  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
While the three men ventured back to the penthouse Damian and Sonny explained as much as they could to Jason: About Ana-Maria twenty years ago, about her death six years ago, about the letter, and about the blood test. Jason seemed to be taking it in stride, but there was a part of him that found everything a little too hard to believe. He, of course, wouldn't voice this opinion, but the festering doubt would be enough for him to keep an eye on Damian.  
  
Sonny opened the door and Michael came parading down the stairs, "Daddy!" He also saw his Uncle, "Uncle Jason!"  
  
Jason smiled, "Hey, buddy." The boy had, for a time, been his own son. Giving him up was very hard, but ultimately it was the best choice. Sonny was an excellent father to Michael, he could use his past experiences to help govern what he would do. It was a luxury that Jason did not have.  
  
"Mike," Sonny started, "Where's your mommy?"  
  
Michael pointed down the hall, "She's with Aunt Courtney."  
  
"I need to get something from the house," Jason made up a lie. He really wanted to see how Carly was taking all of this, even more than he wanted to see how Courtney was doing. He walked passed Damian, a cold eye as he moved away.  
  
Sonny and Damian walked into the house. Michael was also happy to see his big brother, "Damian! You're back already?"  
  
Damian smiled, "Your daddy convinced me to come back."  
  
"Are you going to live here with us?"  
  
"I'm going to try."  
  
"It's what you wanted, isn't it, buddy?" Sonny asked his son.  
  
"Yes!" Michael ran over to Damian and hugged his waist, "I'm so happy."  
  
Across the hall-  
  
Jason walked into his home and saw Carly with a coffee mug in hand, his wife comforting her. Both women looked up and saw him. Jason walked over and knelt by Carly, "Carly."  
  
"You found out, didn't you?"  
  
Jason nodded, "I bumped into Sonny and followed him to Kelly's." He stopped himself, looking for the right way to tell her, "Sonny," He stopped, knowing that he needed to tell her but not wanting to, "Sonny asked him to move into the penthouse. He accepted."  
  
"I told you he'd do that, Courtney." She put her hands around her temples, "Jason, I don't know, I feel like I'm being selfish, but I don't like him."  
  
Jason grabbed her wrist, "Hey, don't worry. I won't let him hurt any of you."  
  
They walked inside the room where Morgan was sleeping in his crib. Leticia was smiling at the baby before she turned around and looked at Sonny, "He just woke up."  
  
Sonny nodded, "Good, I want him to meet somebody." He walked past Leticia, who was on her way out to leave them alone. "Hey there, Morgan," Sonny spoke softly, as he often did when he was speaking to his baby. Sonny reached into the crib and gently lifted his son out, holding him in his arms. Morgan gurgled and grabbed his father's index finger. He walked towards Damian, "See that guy over there? That's your big brother."  
  
Damian walked over and looked at Morgan. He smiled but said nothing. His mind was busy thinking about how Sonny was acting with Morgan in his arms. Would it have been the same if Sonny had been there for him?  
  
"You want to hold him?"  
  
Damian shook his head rapidly, "Babies and I have an understanding, I don't hold them and they don't fall to the ground. Everybody wins that way."  
  
Sonny rolled his eyes, "You have a big family, don't you? A lot of aunts and uncles? Don't tell me you haven't held at least one of your cousins before."  
  
"Okay, I won't tell you."  
  
"He won't break."  
  
Damian grinned uneasily, "With my luck he would."  
  
"And what are you going to do when you become a father? Your child will want to be held by their father."  
  
"I figure by the time I become a father technology will be so advanced that I won't even have to hold my children. They'll just kind of float there while I gawk," Damian quickly retorted, "At least that's what I'm hoping for."  
  
"Put your arms out," Sonny ordered.  
  
"You're not going to make me hold Morgan, Sonny."  
  
"One of the things you're going to need to learn about me is that the more you tell me I can't do something the more I want to do it. Now, put your arms out."  
  
Damian reluctantly stretched his arms out, trying to keep them from shaking. All he needed right now was to drop his father's son, that was an almost certain way to get black listed on the Corinthos family tree. "Let the record show that I was forced into this against my own free will."  
  
Sonny carried his son over to his eldest child and placed Morgan into Damian's arms, "Cradle his body and support his head." Damian did as instructed and, much to his relief, Morgan didn't slip or wail to the point of alarming the surrounding buildings. "There, that wasn't so hard was it?"  
  
Damian looked down at his half-brother and smiled, "He's so small."  
  
Sonny lowered his eyes, "There were a lot of times that I never thought he'd come out, and even a few where I thought that even if he did he'd never make it this long. I didn't feel that I deserved a child with everything that I did during my life. Now I have two. Maybe I'm doing something right after all."  
  
"Maybe we both are, Sonny," Morgan was smiling at him, his eyes wide and full of youthful innocence, "Maybe we both are."  
  
Scorpio Household-  
  
Georgie opened her door and rushed into Dillon's arms. They kissed briefly before pulling away and smiling at one another. "You know," Dillon started with a wide grin plastered on his face, "No matter how many times we do that I'll never get tired of it." Dillon peered behind Georgie's shoulder into the house, "Mac home?" He was always uneasy being around Police Commissioner. While Mac wasn't Georgie and Maxie's biological father he was a better parent to both of them than either Frisco or Felicia. It wouldn't be too big a stretch to say he loved them more than the girls' parent's as well, although no one would ever state it vocally. Mac was overprotective of them both, but he was particularly bad when it came to Georgie. She and Dillon had been in a meaningful relationship for years and he was still relatively cold and distant towards Dillon. It became apparent that Mac didn't feel Dillon was good enough to be Georgie's beau, although neither of the teenagers cared for Mac's personal opinion. To his credit he was becoming less hostile about their being a couple. Still, it was always a risk being in the same room with Mac. Particularly if it was Dillon.  
  
Georgie shook her head, "He's at the police station."  
  
Dillon let out a heavy sigh of relief. He wasn't in the mood to battle Mac over if he was worthy of being in love with Georgie. He didn't feel he was, not that he would ever tell Mac that. "Why'd you call me?"  
  
"Summer's almost over, Dillon. We're going to go back to school soon."  
  
"I thought you liked school," Dillon remarked.  
  
She gave him a playful slap on the shoulder, "You know I like school, but I love you! With all the honors classes that I'm going to be taking and the volunteer work at the hospital I won't have that much time to be with you anymore."  
  
Dillon took Georgie by the hand and walked her into her home. They sat on the couch and looked at each other, "Georgie, you know how important it is that you take those classes. You're one of the smartest people I know and I want you to do great in school so you can get into Harvard or something! I can't be selfish and want to keep you all to myself." He thought about it for a minute, "Well, I could, but that wouldn't be very nice would it?"  
  
"Will you follow me wherever I go?"  
  
"You know I will."  
  
"Even if it's all the way to Oxford?"  
  
Dillon laughed, "They know be name at the black and white movie theatres all around Europe. I was there for awhile, remember?"  
  
"What about you, though, Dillon?" Georgie asked, "You're so smart but you don't even try to get good grades. The Quartermaine name and money might get you some slack, but it wouldn't get you in a lot of schools in the world."  
  
Dillon rolled his eyes, "School's never been my thing, Georgie, you know that. Besides, I know enough to be successful in the world."  
  
"And if something should happen I'll be there to help you," Georgie hugged her boyfriend.  
  
Dillon gently kissed her on the forehead, "You've already helped me so much more than you can imagine, Georgie. I was so empty without you and now it's like every day means something because you're there with me." "What movie is that from?"  
  
"What?" Dillon asked, "You don't think that I'm capable of saying something romantic without quoting some old movie?"  
  
"Nope," Georgie said as she watched Dillon's jaw drop. She pulled her head back and laughed, "I'm kidding!"  
  
Upstairs Maxie was watching her little sister and Dillon just being themselves. She knew that they loved one another, and it was a deep bond that they shared. She thought about her time with Kyle. They never did anything like Dillon and Georgie. They never joked around and talked about the future. They never fell asleep in each other's arms, unless they had just had sex after getting drunk or doing some drugs. They were never in love. Maxie thought that she would be sad realizing this, but it only made her smile. She walked down the stairs, Georgie turning her eyes up when she saw her big sister coming down. Maxie's smile was still on her face, "Good Morning."  
  
"Maxie, I thought you were asleep. I'm sorry."  
  
Dillon turned his head around, "We shouldn't have been so insensitive."  
  
Maxie sat on a chair across from them, "Stop it, you guys. Don't walk on eggshells for me because of what happened. I'm over it. Besides, I'd never want either of you to think that you couldn't act the way you do around each other if I was around. Seeing both of you in love helps me deal with what grief I'm having. I know that if I look around I can find what you have."  
  
Georgie dashed over and hugged Maxie, nearly knocking the chair over, "I'm so happy to hear you say that!"  
  
Dillon got off the couch, "Let's have a celebration. Either of you had breakfast yet?" Both girls shook their heads, "Well then it's settled, I'll make something."  
  
"You can cook?" Georgie asked.  
  
"Well, no," Dillon said as he put a hand behind his head, "But I've watched cook do it plenty of times in the mansion. How hard can it be?"  
  
The sisters exchanged glances as Dillon walked towards the kitchen. "You feel confident about this, Maxie?"  
  
"No, how about you?"  
  
"Not in the least," Georgie answered as she heard the sound of Dillon looking for the cookware inside the kitchen.  
  
"Shouldn't we go watch him?" Maxie stated, "He might hurt himself."  
  
"Or worse," Georgie thought, "Burn the house down."  
  
"I'll go get the fire extinguisher."  
  
"You think we'll need it?"  
  
Maxie shot a look behind her shoulder at Georgie, "You think we should risk being without it?"  
  
"Where do you guys keep the real sharp knives?" Dillon yelled from inside the kitchen.  
  
Georgie's face couldn't hide the fact that she was starting to worry even more. "Maxie, grab the first aid kit while you're at it."  
  
"Found them!" Dillon hollered as a loud crashing noise soon followed, "Don't worry, I didn't break anything!" Georgie shook her head as she trotted to the kitchen, this was going to be interesting. 


	14. Piano Boy

First, let us give a moment of silence for all those that have been let go by the powers that be in charge of our Soap. For those that don't know, said people include: Edward, Lila, Cameron, Zander, Lydia, Gia, AJ, Scott, and most depressing for me, Lucky (weep). It makes me very sad that these people are gone, either by their own choice because they don't have time in the Sonny and Carly hour, or because they were part of a cast cut. While not all these characters will be involved in this story while it reaches the conclusion (which is still some time away, I think) they will be missed. Now I'm pretty much putting Lucky in, just because. Now that I've vented my distaste for the executive decisions that have been taken lately I must say that I posted the end of chapter 12 as the start of chapter 13, my fault entirely, but I'm too lazy to go back and change it.  
  
Shadow- As much as I would love to write Dillon's attempts at cooking, they will remain forever a mystery. I figure it's more funny thinking about what he would have done than it would have been writing him in the act (of cooking, of course). I am happy that you did not feel that the situation was corny and agree with me on Sonny's fast actions. Thank you for continuing to read, I hope you will still enjoy.  
  
Shamira- Writing is my life, I wouldn't be an English major if it weren't, but that's enough about me. Wait, no it isn't. Let's just say that being able to stare at Courtney for an extended period of time was a core reason in me falling for GH during the panic room/yacht kidnapping thing. Plus, I grew up on Dynasty and then watched 90210 and Melrose Place in my tweens and teens, so I'm more than a bit adjusted to the ways of convoluted plotlines. There was also that period when I was a wee one where I watched One Life to Live for the sheer purpose of Andrea Evans, or, as I called her back then, "Pretty Tina." I will keep your secret of your brother's to my grave, or until I get a substantial amount of money to tell someone. Whichever comes first. Carly is letting her emotions run wild and her need to protect her marriage and family is clouding her judgment, I think it's understandable. I mean, I wouldn't be all that happy if the situation happened to me. We can all hope that Carly will realize these things before the situation gets too out of hand, but in true soap fashion, that probably won't happen. At the moment only Lorenzo knows that Damian is in town. Faith is currently oblivious to Sonny's new son, but that will eventually change as she will become all too aware. Please keep up the wonderful reviews, all of you!  
  
Now that the technical stuff is taken care of, let's get on with it, shall we?  
  
Story-  
  
Sonny and Damian had returned to the living room downstairs after spending some time and allowing Morgan to get acquainted with Damian. Damian himself was still feeling the glee of not dropping a child, he'd never held or dropped a baby in his life, but he always feared that he would. Michael was playing with some of his trucks, pushing them around the room. He almost ran into Damian, but stopped himself and laughed. Damian couldn't help but smile. Michael was infectious, it was obvious that he was a good factor in Sonny and Carly's life. It was likely impossible for them to not be happy as long as Michael was around to make them laugh and smile. Michael continued on his way. Damian leaned against the back of the couch, "Where does he get all that energy?"  
  
"He's a kid," Sonny replied, "They all seem to have an infinite amount of energy in them."  
  
"I didn't," Damian informed his father, "I was quiet and reclusive, didn't really have that many friends."  
  
"Michael doesn't either," Sonny said, "We try and keep him as safe as possible. Sometimes I think that we might be doing something wrong with him. But he's always happy, and that's all Carly and I want."  
  
"I used to get teased a lot. It's funny," He said with a soft chuckle, "Even growing up in Los Angeles I'd still get picked on for living in a broken home. Some of the kids' parent's barely had a penny to their name, but at least they were together. At first it hurt, you know? The name calling, constantly being told that I wasn't worth having the love of a father, the way they would flaunt their parents every chance they got. After awhile I just couldn't cry about it anymore, I had gone numb on feeling pity for myself and anger for them. I remember I used to run home right after school and never come out to play. I didn't have a lot of toys, but there was an old piano in the dining room. Half of the keys didn't work and it had gathered up so much junk on top of it that I never even noticed it until I tripped over it. I started to play it one day, I wasn't very good at it, but it helped me do something that would let me forget what had happened during the day. My Nana heard someone playing it and came in. She said that it was an anniversary present that she got one year a long time ago. She used to love playing the piano, but one day she just stopped. I learned how to expel my grief on that thing. Most people would have thought it was a piece of junk, but it was the most precious thing in the house to me. I'd spend hours on it all the time, even played on the working piano at school during break and lunch when they'd let me. Mom was so proud of me for finding something that I loved."  
  
"Do you still play?" Sonny asked, enthralled at his son's story.  
  
"No," Damian said sadly and quietly, "I stopped playing after she died. Before she did I wanted to play piano for the rest of my life, but then she got sick and I was with her all the time. When she died I knew that I had to become a doctor. I couldn't even bring myself to look at the piano in the house. Every time I'd look at it I would break down, it reminded me of her so much. My grandparents saw how hard it was for me, so they took it to the dump." He stopped himself, "I'm sorry, Sonny, I shouldn't be boring you to death with stupid stories about me."  
  
Sonny sat next to Damian, "I don't think it was stupid at all, and I'm glad you told me."  
  
Carly opened the door and walked in, alone. She saw the boy talking with Sonny, "You're living here now?"  
  
"Yes, Carly," Sonny answered for his son, "He is."  
  
"Daddy," Michael tugged on his father's shirt, "I want to go for a walk!"  
  
Sonny looked down at Michael, "I can't do it right now, buddy. Mommy and I have to talk about something very important."  
  
"I could take him," Damian said.  
  
"No!" Carly rejected the offer almost instantly.  
  
"I think it's a good idea," Sonny said, "You'll get to spend some time together and Mike can show you around, if you don't mind having a kid tag along."  
  
"I wouldn't have made the offer if I cared about going somewhere with a kid, Sonny. But it really is up to Michael and not me." He tilted his head forward and looked at the boy, "How about you and me go for a walk instead of going with your daddy? That way your parents and talk about whatever it is they need to talk about." There was no hiding it from the adults that Sonny and Carly were going to talk about Damian living there, but they all wanted to protect Michael from the animosity.  
  
"Yeah!" Michael answered, enthused. He grabbed his brother's hand, "Come on, I'll show you the park!"  
  
Carly watched as her son rushed past her, barely acknowledging that she was there. When the door closed she almost went ballistic, "I can't believe that you would just let our son go somewhere with him!"  
  
"They like each other already and they'll need to start building a relationship. I already let him hold Morgan."  
  
"Sonny, he cannot live with us! I won't let him."  
  
"I will not allow one of my children to feel like they are exiled from my life, Carly." He walked over and put his hands on her shoulders, "You know how much I love you and the kids. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think it was the right thing to do. Please don't take this away from me. I need to see if we can get along together as a family, all of us."  
  
"You're not in the least bit worried that he could be here to do something horrible to you or our family?" Carly asked, "You barely know the kid!"  
  
"I trust him, Carly. I don't know why I feel so comfortable around him, but I do."  
  
"Well I don't!" Carly quickly snapped back.  
  
"I'm asking you to give this some time. Please don't try and fight with Damian every second of every day. If you're afraid of him somehow getting me to stop loving you that will never happen." Sonny hugged his wife, "I love you now and forever. I could end up having a thousand other children around the world and they will never mean as much to me as you do."  
  
Carly was still reluctant, but regardless of how she felt about the boy she couldn't let her husband be unhappy because of herself. "Okay, Sonny, we'll give this a try."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Park-  
  
"You didn't have to run so fast, Michael." Damian said in between panting, "The park isn't going anywhere."  
  
"Are you?" Michael wondered.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"I know that you and mommy don't get along right now," Michael said, "But that's okay because sometimes mommy and daddy don't get along. They still love each other though."  
  
"I can't make you any promises," Damian said honestly, "But I want to become friends with your mom and get along with her, too. It might not ever happen, though."  
  
"Will you leave again if it does?"  
  
"I might not live in the house anymore, but I'll probably still be here. I'm going to school at the college here, and that will take me a few years to complete. You won't be able to get rid of me for awhile."  
  
Michael was happy with the news, "Come on, I want to show you my favorite spot!" He hurried deeper into the park. Damian shook his head and chased behind the boy.  
  
Elsewhere in the park-  
  
"Yeah, I'm telling you, my plan totally worked!" Kyle proclaimed proudly into his cell phone, "I just picked up some girl from the city and brought her back. We walked around Maxie's neighborhood until we bumped into her, and when she saw me she lost it! Yeah, I know it's going to be harder to get uppers without her, but it isn't impossible! We have enough money to buy some from the dealers in the city if it comes to that."  
  
Michael had lead Damian to the place he wanted, in front of a small gazebo. It was where they often had their Fourth of July celebration in Port Charles. Michael loved the fireworks. Damian saw Kyle inside the gazebo. He noticed that it was the boy from yesterday who was yelling at the blond haired girl. Kyle had quickly turned around and didn't bother thinking about the guy who was looking at him.  
  
"Damian?" Michael asked, "What are you doing?"  
  
Damian snapped back from his concentration on Kyle, "Nothing, Michael, just thinking about something. You have anywhere else you want to show me?"  
  
"Just one more place," Michael said.  
  
"How about we walk there instead of running? I don't think I can keep up with you again."  
  
They walked, Michael telling him things about the park and pointing out little things that would interest a small child. Damian listened, walking a few steps behind. Michael was unusually and blissfully calm until he saw someone that he recognized. "Maxie!" He rushed over to one of the benches, sitting there was the same person that the boy he saw a few minutes ago was fighting with yesterday.  
  
Maxie had gotten out of the house after Dillon's breakfast disaster. They all needed some fresh air, the kitchen didn't smell all that great and there was a lot of smoke coming out of the windows. Dillon and Georgie stayed close by in order to air out the house and clean it up before Mac came home and blew a fuse. They told Maxie not to worry about it and enjoy the day. It was one of the few days off she had in some time. She didn't know that Kyle was nearby, and it was probably a good thing. She heard the voice of the little boy that she had seen in the hospital a few times. He would visit a lot when Carly was in the hospital. His face wasn't one that most people would easily forget, "Hi, Michael!" She exclaimed with a wide smile, "Are you here with your parents?"  
  
Michael shook his head, "Nope, they're at home."  
  
Maxie knew that Sonny and Carly were more than a bit overprotective of their darling child, and wouldn't just let him run around the park unsupervised. Bobbie was more than likely at work, which begged the question, "Who are you here with?"  
  
Michael pointed behind him to Damian, "My new big brother!"  
  
Maxie looked up and saw the guy from yesterday, "Hello," She said politely, "I wasn't aware that his parents put him in a big brother program."  
  
"They didn't," Damian stated, "I'm Sonny's son." He walked a few steps closer and put his hand out, "I don't believe we had proper introductions yesterday, my name is Damian."  
  
"Maxie," She replied as she shook his hand.  
  
"You seem to be feeling better. Yesterday didn't appear to be one of your better days."  
  
"It wasn't," Maxie said as she took her hand away from his, "But I want to thank you for trying to help me yesterday."  
  
"You're quite welcome. I only wish I could have done more."  
  
"Are you here for a visit with your father?" Maxie asked, "I've never seen you around Port Charles before."  
  
"I'll be starting medical classes at PCU when school starts up again," Damian left out the parts about coming there to find his father. No need to bog Maxie down with the needless information.  
  
"You want to be a doctor?" Maxie asked.  
  
"I do."  
  
"I'm a candy stripper at the hospital," Maxie stated, "I have been for a few years. It makes me feel like I'm doing something worthwhile, you know? Helping the doctors and nurses help save lives and keep people healthy."  
  
"That's why I want to become a doctor," Damian wasn't expecting them to have something in common. Based on the company she kept, he didn't expect her to be a hospital volunteer. "It'll be a long road, but I hope I can make it."  
  
"I think you can."  
  
Damian almost blushed, "Thank you."  
  
Kyle came from around the corner. He didn't expect to run into Maxie, but now that he had he could use it to his advantage. "Hey, Maxie!" He yelled, "Spend all night crying?" 


	15. Actions and Consequences

Shadow- Yeah, they cut all those people from the show, or those people opted not to renew their contracts when they expired. I believe that was the case with Zander, Lucky and Scott. The rumor-mill has said that Brian Presley (Jack on Port Charles) might be replacement Lucky. There is plenty of stuff that will happen with Kyle. Plenty of stuff indeed.  
  
Story-  
  
Maxie turned her eyes towards Kyle, the boy she thought she had loved. Her face showed her disgust as he continued to walk closer to her. It was good that she did not have any feelings towards crying, it showed that she was stronger than she thought she was. "No, Kyle," She started, "I didn't."  
  
"Why don't I believe you?" Kyle wondered, with a smirk that showed he was only trying to get Maxie angry, "Maxie, you used to cry for days when I wouldn't call you every other hour, remember?"  
  
"Maybe I've just grown up more than you ever could," Maxie shot back, losing her temper.  
  
"You're still so into me that you're just lying to yourself," Kyle grabbed her by the shoulders, "Admit it!"  
  
Maxie struggled to get out of his grip, but he wasn't going to let her go, "Stop it, Kyle, you're hurting me!"  
  
"Admit it!"  
  
"I believe she asked you to let her go," Damian said.  
  
Kyle took a quick glance before ignoring Damian, "You got a new boyfriend already?"  
  
"He's not my boyfriend," Maxie continued her attempt to squirm out of Kyle's grip, "I just met him today."  
  
"I always knew you were loose, but this surprises even me," Kyle pushed down even harder and Maxie seethed in pain.  
  
Damian, not being one to let a woman be abused right in front of him, forced Kyle off of Maxie by flinging him back. Maxie was thrown back as well, onto the bench she was sitting on. "Are you okay?" He asked, concerned. She looked like he was really hurting her, and he wasn't going to stop.  
  
She brushed a few tears of pain from her eyes, "Yes, Damian. Thank you."  
  
Kyle pushed himself off the ground and rushed over, forcing Damian around, "Hey, why do you have to get yourself mixed up in this?"  
  
"You were hurting someone because your small mind and huge ego could not take the blow of being rejected by someone who doesn't have the maturity of a child," He looked at Michael, "No offense." Mike just shrugged his shoulders.  
  
"You've got a lot of nerve, you know that?"  
  
Damian rolled his eyes, "I'd ask you to quit while you're ahead, but since that is not possible unless you can somehow return to your mother's womb and come out without growing up into a jackass I'll just ask that you stop digging yourself even deeper into the hole."  
  
Kyle punched Damian in the face, "Dig yourself out of that!"  
  
"Kyle!" Maxie yelled, "Stop it!"  
  
He quickly turned over to her, "You didn't have any control over me when I was using you, what makes you think you can order me around now?" Maxie slapped him across the face before he could blink. All it did was make Kyle even more irate, "You shouldn't have done that!" He pulled his fist back, only to have it grabbed from behind. He turned around again, but this time it was his own face that was punched. Kyle fell backwards and onto the ground, wiping his nose that had started to bleed. He got up, "This isn't over!"  
  
Maxie was visibly shaken. Kyle had almost hit her. She could never be in love with something like that. She felt a hand touch her hand and pulled it back without looking. "Maxie, it's okay!"  
  
Her hand still shaking she pulled her head up and saw Damian, "I thought," She stopped herself.  
  
"Don't," Damian began, "He's gone and he can't hurt you."  
  
She saw the lower part of his mouth bleeding a little bit, "Are you okay?"  
  
Damian nodded as he wiped away the blood, "I'm sure it'll be a bit sore for a day or two, but given the alternative it's worth it."  
  
"I was scared," Michael said, "I've seen mommy and daddy yell at each other but it was never that bad. Daddy never hurt mommy."  
  
"Maxie, I don't want to impose on you, but would you like it if Michael and I walked you home?" She turned her eyes up to him, "Don't feel that you have to say yes, if you don't want to that's fine. It's entirely your choice."  
  
She had to admit that she felt safer when she wasn't alone, especially since Kyle was the type of person who would be following her around. "I'd appreciate it very much, thanks."  
  
Morgan Household-  
  
Jason and Courtney sat on the couch together, wrapped in one another's arms. They both wanted to go over to Sonny and Carly's, but they also knew that this was something they needed to work out alone. Neither could believe what had happened, that Sonny had another child. Jason stroked his wife's hair softly, "Courtney?"  
  
"Yeah?" She replied as she leaned against his chest.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me that you met Damian last night?"  
  
"It all happened so fast and I still didn't know anything when I left. I didn't feel like it was something worth telling you about, Jason."  
  
"What were you thinking when you found out?"  
  
Courtney moved away from him and leaned her head back, "I was thinking that it couldn't be true. I didn't believe what he was saying. Sonny's so passionate about being with all of his children that I didn't even think for a minute that he would have one that he didn't know about." She closed her eyes, "I have to admit, I'm a bit disappointed in him. Why would have a relationship with a woman he didn't even know? It was twenty years ago before I even knew my brother, but I'd like to believe that he wasn't into hookers or anything like that."  
  
"I think someone must have made him do it," Jason said, "Sonny worked hard to get where he is now, but everyone starts on the bottom in this business. He worked his way up over the years, but in order to do that he had to take a lot of orders. Some of them he couldn't say no to."  
  
"You think someone made him have sex with Damian's mother?"  
  
Jason nodded, "Yeah, I do."  
  
Courtney looked at her husband, her baby blue eyes filled with worry, "Has anyone ever made you?"  
  
"No, Courtney." Jason said as he moved towards her and hugged her, "No one ever made me do anything like that, I promise."  
  
Scorpio Household-  
  
Michael, Maxie and Damian walked to the front door. Maxie hadn't said much during the walk home, her mind constantly flashing to what had happened. She never wanted to be in an abusive relationship, it was very hard for her to come to the realization that she had been in one, it was just never physically abusive until today. She stopped at the door and checked to see if it was unlocked, it was. She turned the knob and pushed the door open, "This is it. Would you like to come in?"  
  
Damian shook his head, "I think we'd better get back to Sonny's. They might be worrying about Michael by now."  
  
"Okay," She replied, "Well, thank you so much for everything."  
  
"Don't mention it," Damian stated. "Come on, Michael, we should get back."  
  
"Bye, Maxie!" Michael waved before turning around.  
  
She closed the door and looked in the living room. Dillon and Georgie were still inside, watching old movies. They heard the door close and watched the walkway until Maxie walked by. Georgie called out, "Maxie!" She saw her sister jump a bit, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."  
  
Maxie walked into the living room and sat down, "Its okay, I was just thinking about something."  
  
"Did you enjoy yourself while you were gone?" Dillon asked, "Because we sure had a great time getting the smoke smell out of the house and cleaning the mess I made in the kitchen."  
  
"Dillon!" Georgie hushed her boyfriend. She could tell that something was wrong with Maxie. "What is it?"  
  
"I," She started to say before she took a breath, "I saw Kyle at the park."  
  
"And?" Georgie didn't want to force it out of her sister, but if it meant that she would talk about it, get it off her mind, then it was for the better.  
  
"He was yelling at me," Maxie started, "Then he grabbed me really hard and kept on yelling." She moved the sleeve of her shirt up to show them the bruises that were left on her arm. Georgie's eyes quickly grew wide, "He tried to hit me."  
  
"I'm going to call Mac!" Georgie stated as she walked up to the phone, "I'm going to make sure that Kyle gets arrested for abusing my sister!"  
  
"Georgie, don't!" Maxie cried out.  
  
"You cannot seriously still be trying to protect him, Maxie!" Dillon said, "He tried to hit you, and he bruised your arms!"  
  
"But I slapped him," Maxie muttered.  
  
"I would have slapped him to, the jerk!" Georgie said, "Did you slap him before he hit you or after?"  
  
"Before. He would have hit me too, except I was talking to someone else and he stopped Kyle."  
  
"Who you were talking to," Georgie walked back to the couch, cordless phone in hand. She'd let her sister tell her the story first before she made any decisions.  
  
"Sonny Corinthos's son."  
  
"Michael?" Georgie asked, "He's just a little boy, how could he stop Kyle?"  
  
Maxie shook her head, "He has another son, Damian."  
  
Georgie thought about it for a moment, "Oh, I didn't know that."  
  
"Neither did I," Dillon concurred.  
  
"None of us did," Maxie finished, "But I'm glad that he does. And I'm glad Damian was there, because if he wasn't I don't know what would have happened."  
  
"I'm still calling Mac," Georgie announced, "He can't get away with doing that to you."  
  
"You don't need to call me, Georgie," The teens all turned around to see Mac standing there. "Maxie, I have to ask you some questions."  
  
"About what?" Maxie wondered.  
  
"About the boy you were with in the park," Mac informed his daughter, "Kyle is pressing assault charges on him." 


	16. Lessons

Some random announcements- This story has surpassed 100 pages on word (clocks in at 101, it does!) and the page where I made this chapter cut is at 79, so. you've still got quite a bit of stuff to look forward to. Also, tomorrow is the day where I spend half of the time driving back from my college to my hometown. So, it doesn't look like an update would come anything before mid-day at the earliest. I WILL update tomorrow (I Hope) and the rest of the time as well. If I can't do daily updates anymore it's because when I'm home my creative abilities tend to take a major plummet. I have this constant thorn in my side that sucks up just about every ounce of my creativeness always there. I call her 'Mommy'. I believe that is it, so onto the reviews (I got a lot of them, too!) in no particular order.  
  
Shadow- Look for a majority of your questions to be answered herein, at least involving the charges and Sonny's attitude towards the fight. The other stuff, the cast stuff, I can't do anything about that (alas, I have not the power). Thank you for saying this is your favorite story, it makes me feel good about how I'm doing and if it's getting across the way I want it to.  
  
Shamira- The chapter titles often just come to me, but that one was particularly true. As for the Morgan/Damian moment, it was fated to happen. It's often something I do in my stories where the main character has to hold a baby, he or she often doesn't like doing it. Actually when I was planning this story in my head I had the idea of having it be Damian/Sage and giving it that Romeo and Juliet feel. I mean, Sonny and Lorenzo hate each other but their respective charges would love one another. It would make for some fun. Ultimately I settled on Maxie because A) Robin Richards is quite attractive (and yes, I feel dirty saying that, but she IS pretty.) and B) I'd get to boot Kyle. I'm sure there were plenty of other reasons, but those are the big two. Jason's always looking to protect Carly from harm, that's just the way he is. He's her safety net and I wanted to show that. Also, rumor has it that TPTB and Greg have come to an agreement and he will NOT be leaving the show. However, I have not seen anything that supports this theory and I have seen things that support that he is leaving. Still, we shall keep our fingers crossed, shall we not? Personally I'm happy to see Scott go, I want to punch him so very hard. He never ceases to piss me off every second he's on camera. Besides, I rather like Ric (ducks). Yes, the Damian/Maxie relationship is beginning to take form. Carly's not so much giving him a chance as she is not fighting him and making Sonny miserable. Like you said before, Michael is impossible not to love. Plus, Damian was used to being an only child up until that point. Michael gives him something he's never had before. I concur Kyle needs to die. You can't believe how hard I was laughing when I read that. Oh, the amusement.  
  
Chicpinay- You guess correctly. While I don't have a name for it (Liason, Journey, etc etc) for this relationship (Maxian?) it is something that I've wanted to get started for awhile. Besides, it's an original character, unworthy of the chic GH fandom terms. Kyle is a jerk, hence why he got his ass beat. Michael certainly didn't seem to mind the violence, I'm sure he knew that Damian was acting correctly. Remember that Sonny's always said that you protect women from being hurt. So, with that in mind, I doubt the boy thought ill of Damian. His parents, on the other hand, well, that is a different story. Yes, I would pay for a Dillon attempting to cook scene, but it is a dream, just a dream.\  
  
That was really long, anyway, on with the show.  
  
Story-  
  
"Assault charges?" Maxie asked, shocked. Kyle was filing assault charges on Damian? If anyone had any right to file charges of assault it would be her on him. Georgie could see her sister was in a state of unrest, and she wanted to say something to Mac, but it was not her place. Dillon was busy slumping in the couch, hoping that Mac wouldn't see him. "Mac, can't you do something about that?"  
  
He shook his head, "Once the charges are filed there isn't much I can do, Maxie. Unless you have something to say that would discredit him."  
  
All eyes were on Maxie, who said nothing. She wanted to say something, but at the same time she knew how Mac was, knew that he would take everything out of proportion. She couldn't handle that right now.  
  
Mac took her silence as an answer, although it wasn't one he entirely believed, "Kyle only gave us a first name of his assailant, but he said that the guy was talking to you."  
  
"He was," Maxie answered meekly.  
  
"So who was he?"  
  
"I don't really know. He just moved here a few days ago."  
  
Mac walked over and knelt by Maxie, "You just strike up random conversations with people who end up hitting other guys in public?" Mac put his arm around her, touching her bruises. She pulled away from him, but he figured that it was just because she didn't want to be touched, not because she was hurt. "Maxie, that isn't like you."  
  
"He was with Michael," She stated, "Michael saw me and ran over to say hi. Damian was with him. Michael said that Damian was his older brother."  
  
"That's a start," Mac said as he got up, "I'll have to go check up on the Corinthos's. Thank you, Maxie. And, Dillon, don't think I won't forget that you were here trying to hide from me."  
  
"Bye, Mac," Dillon said with a shallow wave of his hand, the rest of his body still being ineffectively cloaked by the couch. They heard the door close and Dillon slumped even further, "I can't hide from that guy."  
  
"Maxie-"  
  
"Don't, Georgie!" Maxie shot out, "Don't give me some lecture about how I didn't do the right thing, because I don't want to hear it."  
  
"You're going to let someone possibly go to jail for defending you, Maxie!" Georgie pointed out forcefully, "You said it yourself, if he hadn't have been there Kyle might have done more than bruise your arms."  
  
"What would Mac do if he found out that Kyle had even laid a hand on me, Georgie?" Maxie asked, "He'd freak out and ruin both our lives!"  
  
"He's only trying to protect you both," Dillon said, "Believe me, I'd be the last person to defend Mac the judgmental, but he deserves to know."  
  
"Besides," Georgie continued, "Kyle deserves to be the one in trouble for doing that to you, not this Damian guy."  
  
Maxie began to weep, the situation getting to her, "Georgie, drop it, please!"  
  
"Maxie," Georgie began calmly, "I can't make this decision for you, but you have to know that you can keep an innocent person from getting into trouble. It isn't fair to him and it isn't fair to you." Maxie got off the chair and ran upstairs, slamming her door. Georgie sighed, "I can't believe her."  
  
"She's afraid," Dillon said as he grabbed her hand, "If Kyle knew that she was the one who told on him what do you think he would do? We both know that he has the shortest fuse out of anyone around here, and his parents have enough money they'll bail him out of any situation. Maxie might not want to fight a battle she can't win."  
  
"Maybe I can catch Mac," Georgie headed for the door.  
  
"Didn't you say that this had to be her decision, not yours?"  
  
She stopped herself as she heard Dillon point that out, "Why do I always end up getting wrapped up in her problems?"  
  
"Because she's your sister and you care about her a lot." Dillon wrapped his arms around hers, "And it shows that you're a great person, which is why I love you so much. My cousins are usually at each others throats. Jason can barely stomach being around any of us because he hates AJ so much. Trust me, they'd be better people if they had a relationship like you and Maxie."  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
Damian and Michael walked in, Sonny and Carly were on the couch waiting for them. "That took you long enough," Carly said.  
  
"We ran into a problem," Damian responded.  
  
"Damian got into a fight," Michael informed his parents.  
  
Carly's eyes grew wide, "You exposed my child to violence?"  
  
"I didn't want to, Carly. But-"  
  
"But nothing!" Carly interjected, "We can't even trust you to do a simple thing like take Michael for a walk without somehow poisoning his mind." Carly looked at Michael, "Honey, go upstairs while your father and I talk to Damian about what happened."  
  
"It wasn't his fault, mommy," Michael stated in defense of Damian.  
  
"That's not for you to decide," Carly proclaimed, "Now, please, go to your room." Michael ran upstairs as Damian tossed himself on the couch, "You think this is funny, don't you?"  
  
"No, I don't," Damian answered, "Believe me I would have much rather gotten through the day without getting into a fight, but it looks like I'll have two within the span of an hour. Just my luck."  
  
"Don't take that tone with me!" Carly demanded, "We work very hard to keep Michael from seeing things that might have a negative influence on him."  
  
"You're being awfully judgmental for someone who doesn't even know what happened," Damian pointed out.  
  
"You got into a fight in front of my son. Do I need to know anything else?"  
  
"I think we do, Carly," Sonny finally spoke, letting his wife have her moment.  
  
"Michael saw Maxie at the park and went to talk with her. We were talking too when her boyfriend came and started to yell at her. I told him to back off but he didn't. She finally slapped him and he was going to hit her, so I grabbed his arm and he punched me instead."  
  
"Is that it?" Sonny asked.  
  
"I punched him back and he ran off. We walked Maxie back to her house and then came back here. That is it." He looked at Carly, "I don't support violence, Carly, but I'm not going to just stand there and watch some woman get abused by her egotistical former boyfriend. Which message would you rather have me show Michael? That it's okay to hit a woman? Or that you should stand up for someone if you see that they are being treated badly?"  
  
Carly swallowed her pride, she knew he was right. She didn't want to tell him that he was right, but she needed to, "Okay, so I overreacted. I'm sorry."  
  
"You appear to do that a lot, don't you?"  
  
"That's enough, Damian," Sonny said. "While you were away we talked about my offer and Carly's agreed with me, you need to stay here. Everything you owned has been moved into the guest room which is right around the corner."  
  
"Are you sure about this, Carly?" Damian asked.  
  
Carly was against the idea still, but she had to think about more than herself. Michael was already worshiping Damian, and it was important to Sonny. "It's what Sonny wants." There was a knock at the door and Carly turned around to open it. "Mac?"  
  
"We're looking for a suspect in an assault case, we have reason to believe that he is here."  
  
"What's going on?" Sonny demanded to know.  
  
Mac ignored Sonny for the moment, focusing on the third person in the room, "Are you Damian?"  
  
"I am."  
  
"Could you please come down to the station, we've got some questions to ask."  
  
"Mac!" Sonny said again, "Where are you taking my son?"  
  
"Sonny, I need to take him in because there are charges pressed against him. We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Please don't make me put the cuffs on him."  
  
Carly could see that Sonny was less than pleased with what was happening. When Sonny lost his temper things usually became much worse. "Sonny, let them do what they need to do, we'll get him out." She personally wanted the kid to stay in jail, but she was the only one who could calm her husband down and it involved showing support for his son. It was the lesser of two evils for now.  
  
"Follow me," Mac told Damian, "I'll escort you to the Police Department." Damian did as instructed and closed the door behind him.  
  
Sonny slammed his fist on the table, "I can't believe this!"  
  
"He did get into a fight with that boy Maxie's been seeing," Carly pointed out, "Kyle, I think his name is."  
  
"He was defending Maxie and himself! Leave it to the PCPD to make a mess out of something like this! I'm going to call my lawyers and have them file a harassment charge against the department!"  
  
"Sonny, stop." Carly ordered softly, "I know you're angry at everything right now but blowing your top isn't going to help Damian, it's only going to hurt him."  
  
"We both know that they're going to do everything in their power to make him look guilty," Sonny said, "They're going to treat him like dirt because he's my son. Baldwin's got a vendetta against us all and he's going to take it out on my kid. Michael was there, he can tell them what happened."  
  
"Don't drag Michael into this, Sonny. He's just a little boy. He'll be so scared when he walked into the station and sees Damian there being treated like a criminal," She grabbed his shoulder, "The only thing we can do right now is get him out of there before it's too late." 


	17. Brother's Quarrel

Notes- I have seen confirmation that Greg hasn't been let go as Lucky. For this we can all be thankful and do the happy dance. Oh yes, the happy dance is in order. I have made it back to the place of my birth safely, although I'm not too happy to be here. However, looking at the tree, and the presents that are for me. I think I can stomach it for the time being. PLUS, I have soapnet here. Sweet, wonderful soapnet. Oh, and I've been spelling Faith's last name wrong this whole time. It's Rosco not Roscoe. My bad.  
  
*Ahem* Review Time-  
  
Raine- Thank you for taking the time to review and giving me your praise. I am happy that Damian/Maxie appears to be going along well with those that have been reading. Yes, the cast cuts are bad, but Baldwin leaving is not. Here is the update as requested.  
  
Story-  
  
Port Charles Police Department-  
  
Mac followed Damian into the building. The boy looked around and saw the cells, some had prisoners inside. Would this be his fate? This is what happens to people who help those in need? He sighed, he was from Los Angeles, they had their fair share of corrupt cops and the like. Still, he never thought he would be one that the system abused. A man in a suit walked towards Mac, "Well, commissioner, what have we here?"  
  
"Radcliff's assailant, Scott," Mac replied calmly.  
  
"And why isn't he in cuffs?" Scott Baldwin asked, "Kid assaulted one of this town's most well known benefactors, that isn't how the system works!"  
  
"With all due respect, Mr. District Attorney," Mac began, "I made the offer to escort him without the use of handcuffs if he cooperated. We're here to uphold the law, not use it to do inhumane acts."  
  
"You're a bleeding heart, Scorpio!" Scott yelled, "You can't do that in this business, not with people like Corinthos and Morgan running around doing god only knows what!"  
  
Mac rolled his eyes, "Are you done yet?"  
  
"Make sure you book him!" Scott ordered.  
  
"I know how to do my job, Scott," Mac called out before looking at Damian again, "You didn't need to hear all that."  
  
"No, I didn't," Damian replied, thinking about what the DA had said about his father and whoever Morgan was. It couldn't be the baby, that Morgan was much too young to do anything illegal.  
  
"Do you understand the charges that have been filed against you?"  
  
"I understand what they are, but with no disrespect intended I don't see why I'm here if all I did was protect someone from getting abused. It required violence on my part, but it was still in defense of myself and in defense of another."  
  
"Whom?" Mac asked.  
  
"I don't know her last name, but her first name is Maxie."  
  
Mac knew she was hiding something, and now he knew what it was. Kyle had almost hit her. Mac was angry at Kyle for daring to even attempt such an act against a woman, his daughter no less, but he was also hurt that Maxie was not upfront with him. Ric was watching nearby and saw that Mac was reacting in a way that was very befitting of a father, but not of an investigator. He walked over, "I'll take it from here, Commissioner."  
  
"Like hell you will!" Mac quickly said back to Ric, "This is my daughter we're talking about."  
  
"Which is why you cannot be asked to continue questioning this young man, your judgment is impaired by personal ties with one of the parties involved." Ric spoke softly, knowing that Mac wasn't going to listen if he was screaming, "Mac, you know Maxie is okay, let me do the work for now and you can sort out your problems with her later."  
  
Mac sighed and left extremely hesitant, but he knew that his job called for him to be objective, and he couldn't do that in this case. He didn't like or trust Ric, but he knew Lansing was right. He wanted to call Maxie, but he stopped himself. This was something that needed to be done face to face, not over the phone.  
  
Ric continued questioning Damian, getting his part of the story, "So you were saying that you saw Mr. Radcliff attempt to strike Ms. Jones and you stepped in to stop such a thing from happening?"  
  
"I did stop it," Damian said fiercely. He took a moment and turned his head, "Sorry, abuse is a touchy subject for me."  
  
"Would you have gotten into an altercation with Mr. Radcliff if Ms. Jones had not been present?"  
  
Damian shook his head, "I don't even know the guy, why would I just up and fight him?"  
  
"Maybe you were looking to make a name for yourself," Ric said, "You did, after all, just move here did you not?"  
  
"I don't see why that has anything to do with this, but yes, I did just move here a few days ago." He continued, "But that has nothing to do with what happened today. I wouldn't just up and fight Kyle, I don't enjoy violence."  
  
"He came in here with a shiner," Ric said, "You nailed him pretty good."  
  
"Maybe I just got lucky," Damian retorted.  
  
"Or maybe you're just more violent than you want to let us all believe," Ric stated.  
  
"That's enough, Ric!" Sonny ordered from behind, "You're trying to discredit my son and I won't stand for it."  
  
Ric tossed his head over his shoulder to see his half-brother standing there, "What are you doing here?"  
  
"My boy was brought here and I want to take him back, you've already got enough from him that shows he didn't assault Kyle, he was protecting Maxie." Sonny walked closer, "So you can let him go now and everyone can be happy."  
  
"I'm afraid it doesn't work that way, Sonny," Ric stated, "You might be able to bend the law here from time to time, but all we've got on your-" He stopped himself, "Did you say son?"  
  
"Don't look into it very much, Lansing," Sonny quickly commented, "You won't be able to drag Damian's name through the ringer like you've tried to do with me."  
  
"Nonetheless all we have is two conflicting statements from two very partial parties. Radcliff's story is that your son attacked him."  
  
"I'm betting he just happened to leave out the part where he tried to attack Maxie, didn't he?" Sonny had played this game with Ric and plenty of others more times than he'd care to count. They'd look for any reason to hold Damian, and he wasn't going to give them any.  
  
"That's confidential information that cannot be released to anyone, even you," Ric made sure the last two words were emphasized.  
  
"I didn't do anything wrong," Damian commented, "Why not ask Michael, he was there?"  
  
"A child's viewpoint of a given situation can be easily skewered depending on the environment that he is in," Ric pointed out.  
  
Sonny let a sound of disgust come out from his lips, "You just love using that to your defense since they wouldn't believe Michael when he said that he saw you kidnap Carly, don't you?"  
  
"What is in the past belongs in the past, Sonny." It was no secret to anyone around the office that Ric had done that to Carly, but he still didn't want to be speaking about it out in the open. "And to think only a few minutes ago you were saying that I was trying to discredit someone. Isn't that what you're trying to do with me?"  
  
"It isn't a discredit of character when everything that is being said is true, Ric," Sonny commented bitterly, "What part of what I just said wasn't true?"  
  
"None of it," Carly walked in. She was going to stay in the car for this very reason. She hated seeing Ric, remembering what he did to her. But at the same time she knew that Sonny could easily blow his short fuse if Ric or Scott pestered him enough. They came to get one person out of trouble, she'd hate for it to become two in the blink of an eye. "Every single word you've said about this sick, twisted, sadistic bastard is completely correct."  
  
"You don't have enough grounds to keep him here, Ric, and we both know it. Do you want me to file another lawsuit against this department? Can PCPD survive yet another blow to an already shattered character? I don't think it can, and you know I don't make idle threats."  
  
"If I can find any evidence that links you to a malicious assault against Kyle Radcliff know that I will personally make sure that you are back here before you can blink," Ric made sure Damian was listening to him, "In the mean time you're off the hook, for now."  
  
Sonny, Carly and Damian walked outside the building. Damian grabbed Sonny, "Thanks, that really helped."  
  
"I shouldn't have told him you were my son," Sonny stated, "Ric's got a vendetta against me and anyone associated with me. I've just cost you a chance at not being badgered by the police department at every turn."  
  
"Who is that guy?" Damian asked.  
  
Sonny turned and walked towards the car, Carly's hand wrapped around his arm, "My brother."  
  
Scott had seen what had happened with Ric and he came in, his face red with fury, "What the hell happened here?"  
  
"Sonny's right, Scott. We don't have enough on the boy to keep him here, especially since he apparently has witnesses that will support his actions and why they were taken."  
  
"You don't believe that any son of Sonny Corinthos would act in the service of another person, do you?"  
  
"My brother might be a lot of things, Scott, but he doesn't stand around and watch people be abused if he can help it. He knows the pain, he grew up with my father being his step-father, believe me, he knows what it feels like."  
  
"Where's Scorpio?" Scott changed the subject, "I gave him a direct order to book that kid!"  
  
"If we put Damian in jail all it would have meant was more bad press for this department, and more bad press for you, Scott. And we both know how much your image can survive that, don't we?"  
  
"If I didn't know any better I'd say that you were working with your brother on this," Scott walked away, Corinthos had gotten away from him again.  
  
Ric walked into Mac's office, "We had to let the kid go."  
  
"Good," Mac responded, "I believe him."  
  
"Any particular reason why?"  
  
"Because Kyle Radcliff is a self-centered pest who wouldn't think twice about abusing a woman in public as long as he felt that he could get away with it." Mac sighed and put his hands over his head, "I should throw him in jail for attempting to lay a hand on my daughter."  
  
"His parents would just bail him out."  
  
"It would still go on his record," Mac said, "People need to realize how bad that kid is. Maxie told me that he used to try and get her to steal drugs from the hospital for him."  
  
"Mac, you know that everything depends on Maxie and what she says happens, right? She's the only one that hasn't made a statement that would hold up. Michael's word would only carry so much weight, and given the house he lives in that fact alone pretty much disables any credibility he might have."  
  
"I'll talk to her about it," Mac said.  
  
"If you don't get an answer-"  
  
"I know how the system works, Lansing!" Mac shouted, quite testy, "If Maxie doesn't say anything then they both walk, if she says that Damian is lying he gets put in jail, if she says that Kyle tried to hit her she can press charges, which she won't he'll walk, too."  
  
"Just making sure you know," Ric left Mac alone to brood over what the possibilities were. 


	18. Trouble With Teens

Notes- I am just FULL of GH ramblings. I care too much about this show to be considered sane. But that is okay, because sanity is overrated anyway. John Ingle (Edward) has been asked to not be written off entirely! The fans were very upset that he was let go and TPTB in a very uncharacteristic show of heart (love that Christmas spirit) have listened. They asked him to be on recurring status instead of being off entirely. Let us cheer!  
  
Shadow- Kyle won't get booked, but things will be happening very soon for Mr. Radcliff. Thank you for assuring me that the characters were written in character, it is important to me as a writer that I get them as closely to who they are on the show.  
  
Shamira- Worry not, my mother is also a product of the devil. Yes, I care for her deeply, I just don't like her very much. You have no idea how much I was laughing at your comments about Kyle. I was telling my friend (who is pro-Kyle) and he was going, "Dammit!" Of course, he doesn't support the fact that the guy will pretty much become a wife beater, but I digress. I try and show that Damian can only go so far before he loses his temper. He's Sonny's boy, and we all know what kind of temper that man has. Maybe I can find a way to have him throw some glass into the wall. I concur! Maxie should have free slapping privileges when it comes to Kyle! Complete with something blunt and heavy! Yes, Kyle is devoid of shame and does not mind beating on people in public places with little kids watching. Worry not, he shall be gone soon enough. My love for Courtney and Jason is great as well, they are my super-couple. Although GQ is giving them a run, but GQ is currently not doing well. Then again neither is Journey, but again, I digress. I wanted to do something with them, since they haven't really been around much, so the scene was sort of a last minute implied part. I work best when I don't have very much planned, don't I? Mac is an underused talent on the show, I can't even recall the last time I saw him. Then again I have never seen Lila, so it is a rather moot point. I intend on using soap cliché because it's just plain fun. Take your time when it comes to reviewing, it means so much that you actually do.  
  
Story-  
  
The Cellar-  
  
Faith was getting bored, it was past mid-day and aside from her earlier confrontation with Jason she hadn't had anything fun to do. She heard someone walking down the steps and she turned to see Zander, "You're late, not that I was expecting you to take up any sooner."  
  
"I should have listened to everyone when they said to never let you fix a drink."  
  
"You knew what I was going to do, Zander," Faith said, "You even wanted to do it, said it would be a fun adventure, remember?"  
  
"How drunk was I before I even managed to say that?"  
  
Faith giggled, "Drunk enough to attempt a reenactment of that scene from Risky Business, without the underwear."  
  
"I don't even remember that, but I'm glad I don't."  
  
Faith made a moaning sound, "I'm glad I remember it."  
  
Zander blushed a little, "Anyway, what's on the agenda today?"  
  
"I wish I knew, but I've had my fun for the week with Sonny and his cohorts. That really only leaves Alcazar, and I'm sure he'd just start mumbling something about Carly, which really does ruin the mood."  
  
"Excuse me, Mrs. Rosco?"  
  
Faith and Zander turned around to see a teenager standing there. Faith pushed Zander out of the way, "If you're trying to sell me some band candy or anything else that involves supporting the high school you can forget it, I don't do charity."  
  
"Don't you know who I am?"  
  
Faith took a closer look, "Should I?"  
  
"My name is Kyle Radcliff," Kyle stated proudly.  
  
Faith cocked her head back to Zander, he just shrugged, "Sorry, doesn't ring a bell."  
  
"I'd like to do business with you," Kyle stated.  
  
"Sorry, kid, I'm not into playing with the junior leaguers."  
  
Kyle pulled out a wad of cash and showed it to her, "Word on the street is that you've got the purest product in Port Charles."  
  
Faith grabbed the money and ran the tip of her finger over it, "Nice to know that I've got a reputation. Have you been saving this money since you were a little boy working your lemonade stand?"  
  
"Insulting my character will only make me want to do business elsewhere," Kyle stated.  
  
Faith laughed, "I've got more than enough business without you, Kyle. I'm sure I can take the hit to my pocket. But if you want the best you can only come to one person." She examined the boy, "Let me guess, pills?"  
  
"How'd you know?"  
  
"Because almost all the teenagers are into pills, it leaves less evidence for your mommy and daddy to see while they check up on you sleeping, thinking you're some perfect little angel." Faith snapped her fingers, "Zander, a bottle of the best for the cutie here." Zander handed her a bottle, which she put in Kyle's hand, "Now I'm sure I don't need to instruct you on how to take these."  
  
"No, you don't."  
  
"Pleasure doing business with you, Kyle." Faith grabbed his cheeks, "If you ever want some fun come my way, I could use a jolt of youthful invigoration every now and then."  
  
Kyle hid the bottle in his jacket and walked back upstairs. Zander couldn't believe it, "You just sold drugs to a kid."  
  
"Zander, one thing you have to learn about our line of work is that we don't care who we sell it to just as long as we end up selling it. Kids like Kyle are so busy thinking that they're rebelling against their parents, who couldn't care less what their kids do. They're going to buy from someone, might as well be from me. Besides, you get your own cut of the profit, you have more to lose."  
  
"What are you going to do if he rats you out?"  
  
Faith laughed, "The same thing we do to everyone who tries it, kill them."  
  
"You'd just off a teenager like that?"  
  
"Of course not, Zander," Faith proclaimed, "I try to never touch guns, they mess up my nails. I'd order someone else to kill the teenager just like that."  
  
Scorpio Household-  
  
Mac stood outside the door of his daughter's room. He had called it an early day at the station just so he could talk to Maxie about what had happened between herself and Kyle. He needed to know, more for himself than for the assault charges, but both were important to him for different reasons. He hoped that she would talk to him about what had happened, but with Maxie it was always a guessing game. At times the girl could be so open about anything and the next minute be secluded and want nothing but to be left alone. It was very satisfying for Mac to see that Maxie was growing up, but she was at heart still a scared little girl, and that little girl might not want to have anything to do with him. He didn't know for sure, and there was only one way to find out. "Maxie?" He gently pushed the door to her room open. She was sitting at her window, looking up at setting sun. She either did not hear him or chose not to hear him, so Mac spoke again, "Maxie?"  
  
"Hi, Mac," She replied, never once taking her eyes off the scenery outside.  
  
"I came home early," Mac said walking closer, "I needed to speak with you. I think you know what it's about." She still wasn't looking at him. Mac knelt down and grabbed her hand, "Maxie, I know what Kyle did."  
  
"He didn't do anything," Maxie pointed out.  
  
"He tried to do something, and I won't let him get away with it."  
  
"This isn't your concern, Mac."  
  
"You're my daughter and I care about you a lot, how could it not be my concern?"  
  
"Because I'm an adult now."  
  
Mac shook his head, "Maxie, because you're an adult legally does not mean that you can let stuff like this happen to you and it can be okay. Please tell me what happened."  
  
"You'll just get mad."  
  
"If I do get mad you can stop and we'll drop the whole issue. Deal?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Maxie, I'm only trying to help you cope with what happened. If Felicia were still here she'd do the same."  
  
Maxie laughed, "If mother was here she'd be far too busy running around Port Charles looking for ways to get into trouble. She wouldn't care about anything that happened to me."  
  
"You don't really believe that, honey," Mac said sympathetically. He cared about Felicia, but he knew that she wasn't always there for her daughters when they needed her, "Your mom is a very complex person and she has a lot of things that she likes to do."  
  
"None of which involve spending time around her children," Maxie said bluntly. She shook her head, "I know I'm being mean about it, Mac. I know she's making sure that her grandma doesn't die. I know she's actually away from us for a reason that isn't entirely selfish this time. But I also know that I am personally very tired of not being with my mother. I don't think she can care about Georgie and I in the way that we need to be cared for. I think she knows this and that's why she stays away. She doesn't want to break our hopes again."  
  
"That's not a reason to act the way you're acting, Maxie. No matter how hard you try and fool yourself into believing that, you're not doing the right thing."  
  
"He didn't hit me," She said.  
  
"Did he try?"  
  
Maxie lowered her head and her voice went down several notches, "Yes, he tried."  
  
"Did he do anything else?"  
  
Maxie turned to him reluctantly, her eyes filled with sadness. She didn't want to show him, but at the same time she knew that he cared for her. She didn't want to hold many secrets from Mac. She didn't want to push him out like she pushed out Felicia. Maxie slowly moved the large sweater that she was wearing to cover up the bruises down her arms, exposing the black and blue finger prints that lined her arms. She could see Mac's eyes widen. She didn't blame him, she would act the same way if one of her children was being abused. There was a brief time in life when she thought that those children would be Kyle's, now she knew better. "We were arguing, he was saying that I was heartbroken over our breakup. I didn't want to tell him the truth, so I lied. He knew it and he tried to force the truth out of me. That's when he grabbed me and dug his fingers into my skin. Damian tried to get him to go of me, but Kyle wouldn't. I finally shook myself free and he implied that I was a whore, and that I was nothing without him, so I slapped him. That's when he tried to hit me. That's when he and Damian got into their fight. It wasn't even a fight though, Kyle punched him and when he punched back Kyle left. I should have known that he wouldn't just let it end at that. He's such a loser."  
  
"So Sonny's son acted in defense of you and himself?" Mac was trying to remain calm.  
  
"I don't think he would have gotten into a fight with Kyle, or anyone for that matter, unless he had a good reason. I was lucky he was there."  
  
With his duties as a police officer taken care of, Mac shifted into father mode, "I want you to press charges against Kyle."  
  
"No, I won't do that."  
  
"Maxie, if you don't do that there's no telling what he'll do to someone else. If Kyle can get away with doing this to you he'll think he can get away with doing it to everyone else. Can you really let yourself live with the grief if Kyle actually does hurt another girl?"  
  
"He was just mad at me, Mac!" Maxie put her sweater back, "If I wouldn't have slapped him he wouldn't have tried to hit me."  
  
"He deserved to be slapped," Mac commented, "And before that he did grab you and leave visible bruises on both your arms."  
  
"I can't do it, Mac."  
  
"Why are you protecting him?" Mac asked.  
  
"I'm not protecting him, I'm protecting myself!" Maxie shot back, "Kyle hates it when anything happens that will discredit him. Even if he can't get to me he might hurt someone else if he's angry enough. You're asking me to say something so Kyle can't hit anyone, but even if I do say something he might do it. I can't put people at danger."  
  
"There's nothing I can do to change your mind?"  
  
"I wish I could do something about this, Mac, I really do."  
  
Mac hugged his daughter, "You can, Maxie. And maybe in time you will." Mac left his daughter alone. She brushed away some tears from her eyes with her sleeve. She felt she was doing the right thing, but there was a part of her that wondered if she really was. 


	19. Secret No Longer

Notes- It's a short chapter, and for that I am sorry.  
  
Sarah- Thanks for your continued reading and I am glad you are enjoying this. Hope my update came soon enough.  
  
Shadow- Yes, part of the purpose of the chapter was to give Mac and Maxie their time in the sun. The other part was to provide Kyle with the drugs, which will indeed have some effect on him and other people soon enough.  
  
Story-  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
Jason had come inside after Michael ran to his door. For some reason he wanted to be with his Uncle Jason. Jason was all too happy to oblige. He might not ever be a father, but Michael had given him a taste of what it was like. Even if he was just 'Uncle Jason' for the rest of his life, he could live with it. "Uncle Jason?" Michael said as he moved one of his trucks against the table.  
  
"Yeah, buddy?"  
  
"How come mommy doesn't like Damian?"  
  
Jason didn't exactly have an answer for that, "What makes you think that she doesn't like him?"  
  
"Every time mommy looks at him I can see her eyes, they don't look very happy."  
  
"She's got a lot on her mind right now, that's all."  
  
"He's not bad, Uncle Jason." Michael stated, "I think mommy believes that he's a bad person, but he isn't."  
  
"Michael, she's only trying to protect you and Morgan. She loves you both so much that she doesn't want anything bad to happen."  
  
"Nothing bad will happen because of Damian."  
  
"You think so?"  
  
"You don't like him either, do you?"  
  
Jason wasn't exactly liking where this conversation was going. "I don't know how well enough to make an opinion. I do know that I will give the benefit of the doubt unless he gives me an impression otherwise."  
  
"Can you talk to mommy?" Michael pleaded, "She listens to you more than she listens to daddy or Aunt Courtney. If you tell her that he's not a bad person I know she'll listen."  
  
Jason shook his head, "I'm sorry, buddy, but I can't make this decision for your mom, she has to do it herself."  
  
Michael's head was hanging low as his parents and brother entered the house. He didn't even look at the door. He wanted his family to get along. He knew he couldn't understand everything that was going on, but he also knew that things weren't as bad as he felt his mother was making them out to be.  
  
"Jason?" Sonny put his jacket on the rack, "Everything okay?"  
  
"Yeah, Sonny. Michael just didn't want to be alone. I told him I'd spend some time with him."  
  
"Leticia was upstairs the whole time watching your brother, sweetie," Carly pointed out as she walked towards Michael, "You were never alone."  
  
"I just wanted to talk with Uncle Jason," Michael replied in a monotone voice.  
  
"Michael, is something wrong?" Carly knew there was a shift in her son's mood.  
  
"No." Michael got up, "I'm going up to my room."  
  
"Okay," Carly kissed him on the cheek, "I love you." Michael ran up the stairs, "Jason, why is he acting like I just put his puppy to sleep?"  
  
"He was saying that he was tired," Jason lied. He would tell Carly the truth, but not in front of the other kid.  
  
"Baldwin tried to put my son in the slammer," Sonny said.  
  
"Why?" Jason focused his attentions on Sonny.  
  
"Some false charge of assault. I managed to work him out of it."  
  
"I didn't know you had a brother," Damian said to his father.  
  
"Half-brother who I'd rather not have, Damian." Sonny pointed out, "And you really need to listen when I tell you this, stay away from Ric Lansing."  
  
"Why would he do that to Carly?"  
  
She turned her cold eyes on him as Sonny answered, "It's not really something we like to talk about. Don't ask. It's best left in the past."  
  
"A lot of things are," Carly commented.  
  
Sonny ignored the subtext of her statement, "Now the DA knows that Damian is my son. Scott's got another person to bring into his vendetta."  
  
"We both know that every claim that Scott Baldwin brings up against either of us can be acquitted," Jason said. "He's a mockery."  
  
"You think we should file a harassment suit for wrongful questioning?" Sonny asked.  
  
Jason thought about it for a second, "Will it be able to go through?"  
  
"Probably."  
  
"I'd really like to be part of this conversation," Damian said, "After all it was me that the cops brought in."  
  
"Sonny knows what he's doing," Carly said, "He's fought against the District Attorney plenty of times before."  
  
Damian shook his head, "I don't want to drag a long court battle out of something so small. They were just doing their job."  
  
"They would have put you in jail if they could have," Sonny reminded his son.  
  
"But they didn't because you got there in time. Sonny, nothing happened that would be worth a lawsuit. If I were put in jail, if I were handcuffed, then I'd support the notion of a lawsuit. But right now I just feel that I'm more fuel to fire that you have against the police in this down and I'd rather not be a second party, or whatever number I may be in this little scuffle." He sat on the couch, "Please leave this one alone."  
  
"Sonny?" Jason said, awaiting his final word.  
  
"Scott Baldwin will end up messing up against one of us again before we can blink," Sonny decided, "We won't use this against him."  
  
"Sonny if you let this go what happens if he can get a better case against you? One that you can't as easily turn into a lawsuit?" Carly wasn't going to let that boy run her husband, she rather enjoyed the job.  
  
"If Damian won't cooperate we don't have much of a case, Carly," Sonny wished otherwise as well, but this wasn't his choice. "Jason's right though, Scott always ends up getting his hopes up and making a mistake that we can capitalize on. All we have to do is wait."  
  
Lorenzo's Home-  
  
One of the guards came into the living room with a few pictures, "Mr. Alcazar, Capelli said you would enjoy these photos that were taken at the station earlier today."  
  
"Has Sonny been arrested again?" Lorenzo asked as he moved his hand forward, grabbing the pictures.  
  
"It doesn't appear that way, but these are pictures of his son, the one that you have most recently been informed of."  
  
Lorenzo looked at the pictures, he knew that face. "That's the boy that was following Faith Roscoe." He smiled, "So this is who Sonny's heir is. Interesting." 


	20. Futility

Many people will be pleased with the happenings in this chapter. For those that are not, I apologize in advance but express my right of creative freedom.  
  
Story-  
  
Next Morning, Corinthos Household-  
  
He dreamt of her that night. Of Ana-Maria. Her warm smile, her eyes looking at him with satisfaction. It was a face that he would never forget as long as he lived. He was lucky to have the time that he had with his mother, although it still crushed him that the time was ultimately so short. Why did she come to him? He had seen her in his dreams many times before, yet they were almost always nightmares instead of good dreams. Could it be that she was giving him a sign that she was pleased with what he had done? Was it a message from heaven? Damian shook his head, he didn't believe in heaven. He didn't believe in a lot of things, not anymore. He looked around the strange room, his room now. It was bare, the walls were not littered with the pictures and other trinkets that he had seen in the living room or in Morgan's room. Oddly enough the way the room was set up brought him comfort. His room at his grandparent's wasn't like most teenagers. It wasn't full of posters or pictures of friends. It was just a room with a bed and a dresser. It didn't even have a picture of his mother. He wasn't superstitious. He didn't believe that she would be watching him. He just didn't want to wake up and see her face next to him. He didn't want that constant visible reminder of what he lost. The mental reminders were more than enough. The morning sun pushed through his window, greeting him warmly. It was only his fourth day in Port Charles, yet in those four short days so many things had happened. He found his father and was slowly beginning to build a relationship with him. Calling Sonny "dad' was still not something he could bring himself to say, but he knew that in time it could be. He held firmly in the belief that he could make it work, he could start to build relationships with Sonny, Courtney, Jason and even Carly. She would be the hardest to sway in his favor, it was already obvious. He wasn't helping the situation very much, but he wasn't going to stand there and be belittled by a woman who didn't even know him. She could be as judgmental as she wanted, it wouldn't push him away. He knew what he wanted, but if it wasn't what Carly wanted then it was her problem, not his. Damian got out of bed and got ready for the day, not entirely sure of what would come on this day and wondering if he could face it.  
  
After he was showered and dressed, Damian walked into the living room. It was empty. He looked over at the digital clock, it was barely ten in the morning. He didn't want to go upstairs and wake them up, assuming they were still asleep. Maybe they had gone out without him? It wasn't something he put past Sonny and Carly, they still had a family unit themselves. Perhaps they were talking to Michael about something in private. The boy was so sharp it was amazing. He knew things that Damian didn't at that age. He could see his father's pride in Michael every time Michael said something. He'd grow up to be something great, Damian firmly believed that. With nothing else to do with his time, Damian left the house to walk the town.  
  
General Hospital-  
  
Georgie was filing some paperwork when she saw her sister come out of the elevator, dressed up in her candy stripper outfit. "You don't have to volunteer."  
  
Maxie walked behind the counter, "I don't have to, but I want to. It keeps my mind off of everything that's been happening lately."  
  
"You sure you wouldn't rather have a bit of a break?" Georgie asked with concern, "Give yourself some time to think."  
  
"What I don't need right now is some time to think about it, Georgie!" Maxie proclaimed. She calmed herself down, "Sorry, I just feel like I'm being swarmed at every corner."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Mac came up and spoke with me last night," Maxie informed her sister. She was almost sure that Georgie would have known, or would have helped Mac in some way. It was pleasant to know that Georgie had nothing to do with it, that she wasn't pushing herself and what she believed onto her sister. "I showed him the bruises."  
  
"And yet he hasn't served Kyle's head to you on a silver platter?"  
  
"I'm sure he'd like to," Maxie smiled, "But he knows better. Kyle's family wouldn't take very kindly to their boy getting beat by a cop."  
  
"Pity," Georgie replied in disgust, "But I'm glad you told him."  
  
"Yeah, I guess," She grabbed some files, "He wants me to press charges."  
  
"We both do."  
  
"I can't do it," Maxie replied sadly, "You've seen how he is."  
  
"You're afraid of what he would do to someone else if he got in trouble, aren't you?"  
  
Maxie was in awe, "How'd you know?"  
  
"Sister's intuition. Or maybe I just read your diary."  
  
Maxie's mouth opened, "You wouldn't!"  
  
"Don't put it past me," Georgie retorted. Maxie pushed her shoulder and laughed, it felt good to be happy.  
  
Outside Kelly's-  
  
Damian looked up at the window that was part of the room that was supposed to be his home, yet now it wasn't. Sonny swore that the contract wouldn't be broken. Damian believed him. He'd find a way to make the money if Sonny couldn't provide it. For now it was a test of Sonny's word. Before Damian could even turn around he heard a voice nearby, "So we meet again."  
  
Damian turned around and saw the face of a man that had warned him about the strange woman in black that he had seen speak with his father on the docks. Damian didn't show that he was intimated, "Weren't you the one commenting on how I followed people around the last time we saw one another?"  
  
Lorenzo laughed, "I am not following you, but I did see you and I thought I would find out how you're adjusting to this place."  
  
"Fine, thank you," Damian was blank with his response, this man didn't seem to him like he was the best of people.  
  
"It can be very hard to come into this town, you know." Lorenzo stated, "When I first came there was so much opposition against me, yet I remain. Sometimes I wonder why."  
  
Damian had a simple question, "Who are you?"  
  
Lorenzo smiled as he put out his hand, "Lorenzo Alcazar," He answered making his name sound distinctly ethnic, it didn't seem like something he did very often.  
  
"Damian Zuniga," Damian shook hands with Lorenzo.  
  
"Do you have a job yet, Damian?" Lorenzo wondered.  
  
"You're offering me a job?" Damian was shocked. He had barely learned this man's name and he was already giving out a job position.  
  
"I recognize talent when I see it," Lorenzo stated. He was trying to keep his true motive clouded from the boy.  
  
"The only thing I've shown you is my ability to get caught by one of your men," Damian pointed out.  
  
"My men are highly trained individuals. You managed to follow Faith Rosco far enough without her spotting you to impress me. I'm sure there's something that I could find that would fit your strengths."  
  
Damian thought about it, but ultimately decided that he wasn't going to make a decision right there, "Is there some way I can contact you when I've made up my mind?"  
  
Lorenzo grinned a devilish grin, "Don't worry, there will always be some way to contact me. I await your decision," Lorenzo then turned and walked down the pathway.  
  
Damian was about to walk further into Port Charles when he heard some moaning. The sound alarmed him and he followed it around the corner. Much to his surprise there was a slumped teenager leaning against the wall for support. The boy moaned some more and Damian walked closer, "You okay?"  
  
The figure looked up at him, it was Kyle. Yet in his eyes Kyle showed nothing, it was like he wasn't even there. There was a strange substance coming out of mouth. He was barely registering anything that was happening to him.  
  
Growing up in Los Angeles, Damian had seen his fair share of people who did some form of narcotics. Kyle was showing the symptoms of overdosing on something, but he didn't know what. "Kyle, Kyle, I need you to say something to me." Kyle couldn't speak, he could barely move. Damian knelt down and grabbed Kyle's face, "What's your name?" Kyle's head drooped over again as soon as Damian let go. It was obvious that Kyle wasn't in any state to help. Damian wrapped Kyle's arm around him and picked him up, "I need to get you into the hospital," Kyle fell off of him. Damian was panicking now. He didn't know how to adjust to something like this.  
  
Lucky Spencer was returning home from his job at the station and he saw the boy attempting to struggle with lifting Kyle up. Lucky rushed over, "What happened?"  
  
Damian looked over, "I don't know, I heard him moaning and now he's not registering anything. I've tried talking to him and it won't work. I can't carry him to the hospital."  
  
"You won't need to," Lucky brought out his cell and dialed 911, "Yes, we need an ambulance here quickly! Outside Kelly's diner, hurry!" Lucky turned his attentions to Kyle again, but nothing he was doing appeared to be getting through to the boy.  
  
General Hospital-  
  
The EMT's wheeled the gurney that Kyle was strapped on down the hallway. Damian, wanting to make sure that Kyle wasn't dead, rushed to the hospital as fast as he could. By the time he got there he saw Maxie working at the desk. "Maxie!"  
  
She looked up at him, "Damian, what are you doing here?"  
  
"Where is Kyle, is he okay?"  
  
"Why wouldn't he be?"  
  
"Maxie, he overdosed on something."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I saw him lying there and he wasn't talking. Someone else came and called an ambulance, how could you not know if you're right here?"  
  
"I took a break to get something to drink at the cafeteria," Maxie said. During that time Kyle had been wheeled passed, she remained completely oblivious. "Where did you find him?"  
  
"Outside Kelly's."  
  
"Did you see anything that he could have overdosed on?"  
  
"Maxie, I didn't go through his pockets or anything! I was busy trying attempting to get him talking." Damian leaned against the counter, "I just want to know if he's okay."  
  
"I," She stopped herself, thinking about what she had heard, "I don't know."  
  
"Maxie!" Georgie came rushing down the hall. She had seen Kyle and quickly followed the people that were pushing him down. She couldn't go into the room where they examined him, but she stayed around. "It's Kyle."  
  
"Is he okay?" Maxie asked. Georgie was silent, she just looked at her sister. "Georgie, tell me if he's okay!"  
  
"I can't," Georgie whispered.  
  
"Because you don't know yet, right?" Maxie almost screamed.  
  
"Maxie, he's dead." Georgie was shaking, "Kyle's dead." 


	21. Overloads

Notes- Yesterday the most magnificent thing happened! THEY HAD AN EPISODE OF GH WITHOUT SONNY AND CARLY!!! Now, while my love for S/C is great, it was good to know that they realize that they have other characters. End Rant.  
  
Shadow- Worry not, I'm glad he's dead, too. Perhaps Damian will take the job. He'll certainly have ample reason to do it later on. What do I mean by that? Oh, you'll just have to wait and see.  
  
Sarah- I don't know if that's a pro-Kyle death statement, or anti-Kyle death statement. If it's the latter then I must say that Kyle's exit was story dictated. I always wanted to say that.  
  
There WILL be an update tomorrow, but not Christmas. I'll be too busy watching my new movies and playing my new video games to update on that day. Hope ya'll understand.  
  
Story-  
  
The news hit Maxie Jones hard, like someone had punched her through the stomach. Her body went numb, she couldn't feel her legs. Only through sheer determination and the fact that she was leaning against the counter did she manage to stay upright. Kyle was dead and she wasn't there to say goodbye. Why did she care so much? She hated Kyle for everything that he had done to her over the years, for all the pain that he had caused her. Even with this hate, however, she couldn't wish him dead. Now he was and it was too late to do anything. Anything but cry. Maxie sobbed violently, the tears hitting the counter of the desk like drops of rain in rapid motion. Her knees buckled and she fell to the ground, cradling herself like she was a ball. Her body constantly shook with grief and agony. Georgie was crying too. Of course her tears were not for the now late Kyle Radcliff, they were for her dear sister. Georgie knelt down and hugged her sister, "It's going to be okay, Maxie," She said in a soft and comforting voice, "It's going to be okay."  
  
"No it won't!" Maxie brought her head up and pushed her sister away, "How is everything going to be okay now, Georgie? He's dead, there's nothing that can be done now. He wasn't a good person. He was a horrible, manipulative, rich, self-centered pig, but he shouldn't have died, not that young."  
  
"I know," Georgie said as she pushed herself up, "I feel the same way. I didn't like Kyle, I never did, but he shouldn't have died like that."  
  
Bobbie was one of the several staff on hand. Most of them were watching the two sisters in their grief stricken moment yet keeping their distance. Bobbie, on the other hand, knew that action needed to be taken. "Georgie, why don't you and Maxie take the rest of the day off?"  
  
"I don't need the rest of the day off," Maxie said as she struggled to get up.  
  
"Yes you do, Maxie," Bobbie stated, "No one expects you to work, especially not right now. Do you have money for a cab?"  
  
"Yeah, I do," Georgie answered, "But I don't need to go, Bobbie."  
  
Bobbie, eyes full of sympathy, looked at Georgie, "She needs her sister right now. You're the only person that can help her cope with what just happened. You need to be with her."  
  
Georgie glanced over at Maxie, she was trying to keep her cries as low as possible, and she was losing in that struggle. Georgie knew that Bobbie was right. Maxie had a hard time dealing with anything. Something of this magnitude would break her. It already had. Georgie grabbed their things and put her hand over her sister's, "Come on, we need to leave."  
  
"I need to see him!" Maxie said, "I want to see him. Just one last time."  
  
Georgie shook her head, "You know that isn't possible, Maxie. We can't go in there, we're not authorized. Please, just come home with me."  
  
Maxie threw herself at her sister, "This isn't fair. This isn't fair. This isn't fair!"  
  
Georgie helped Maxie walk to the elevator, "I know."  
  
Damian was watching Maxie react to the news. His heart went out to her. Even though Kyle wasn't the best person they were right. No one should die that young. He would have said something to her, but he couldn't find the words. It wasn't his place to comfort the girl he barely knew, and he didn't want to overstep his boundaries. No, Georgie would give her all the comfort she needed. At least he hoped she would.  
  
Lucky came in from another elevator. He saw his aunt at the counter, "Aunt Bobbie! The teenager that they brought in on a drug overdose, what happened?"  
  
"We lost him," Bobbie answered, a single tear running down her cheek. She had seen her fair share of death during her long stay at General Hospital. Almost every one of those took a piece from her soul and stomped on it. It was the hardest part of the job, knowing that you couldn't help everyone. That there were some people that needed to be let go regardless of how much you wished otherwise. "He died shortly after arriving."  
  
Lucky lowered his head. He was too late to help Kyle. It wasn't his fault that the boy died, but it would forever haunt his dreams. He turned around and saw the other guy that had been with Kyle leaning on the edge of one of the chairs. Lucky walked over, "You were with him shortly before I found you both."  
  
"I told you everything that happened when I got there," Damian replied, "He wasn't saying anything coherent and I tried to help him. I was too late."  
  
"You had an altercation with him yesterday, did you not?"  
  
"How do you know that?"  
  
"I'm a cop with the PCPD," Lucky informed Damian, "I was there yesterday while you where being questioned. Your name is Damian Corinthos, right?"  
  
"Zuniga," Damian was quick to correct the police officer, "Damian Zuniga."  
  
Lucky didn't ask any questions about the change in last names, it wasn't his place. But he did have a job to do. A boy was dead and he was there when it happened, so was Damian. "After everything that happened at the park did you see Kyle again before this morning?"  
  
"No, I didn't."  
  
"And you have no idea what could have caused him to overdose on whatever drugs he was taking?"  
  
Damian shook his head, "I don't hang out with Kyle, Officer," He let his voice hang, he didn't know what to call Lucky.  
  
"Spencer," Lucky said.  
  
"Officer Spencer, then. I'm sorry but I am as clueless as the next person when it comes to what happened here."  
  
"Somehow I doubt that," Lucky replied.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"Maybe you should ask your father if any of his goons made the transaction with Kyle."  
  
"What does Sonny have to do with any of this?"  
  
Lucky grinned, "You can try and play dumb with me, kid, but it's pretty hard to not know what your father does with his life."  
  
"Are we done here?" Damian asked, "Because I'd like to leave before you continue to make unwarranted claims against my father."  
  
"Yeah, we're done."  
  
Damian rolled his eyes and turned around, "I don't see why you people at the police department seem to have such a personal vendetta against my father. Is there a shortage of doughnuts in this town and you just need to prey upon citizens to pass the time?" The elevator chimed and Damian walked inside.  
  
"Who's he trying to fool?" Lucky asked.  
  
"Lucky," Bobbie started, "I really don't think he knows."  
  
Lucky swallowed a laugh, "Come on, Aunt Bobbie, how could anyone who has spent more than week in this town not know what Sonny Corinthos does for a living."  
  
"Because he hasn't been in town for more than a week," Bobbie informed her nephew, "And I really think Sonny is trying to keep that part of his life in check."  
  
"So he'd just hide a huge part of his life from his son?" Lucky wondered, "What kind of father would do that?"  
  
"Luke would."  
  
Lucky thought about his father, "No wonder they used to be such good friends." He changed the topic, never really wanting to spend much time talking about Luke, "I don't see how you can stand there and let Carly be with a man like that."  
  
"I have my reservations about it," Bobbie admitted, "I suppose I'll always feel that Carly deserved someone who would be able to provide much more safety to her and the boys than Sonny ever could. But my daughter is a grown woman and she can make her own choices as to who she cares for. She loves Sonny so much, and as much as I sometimes hate to admit it he loves her and the boys with all of his being."  
  
"What about this new kid?"  
  
"I don't know Damian that well. He's still renting one of the apartments above Kelly's, even though he's trying to live with Sonny and Carly. He's here because he wants to be."  
  
"Does he know what he's getting into?"  
  
Bobbie shook her head, "Probably not."  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
Damian had bolted back to the penthouse from the hospital. He just wanted to be alone and think. There was already so much that had changed yet again. His life was never the most stable, but now it was almost like every time he turned around there was something there to throw it into turmoil. Kyle was dead, and he was one of the last few people to see the boy alive. Now there were these strange allegations that Officer Spencer was making about Sonny. What where they all about? Admittedly he didn't want to see his father right now. He really just wanted to be alone. When he opened the door he saw that his wish would not be something that could be granted right away. Courtney was carrying Morgan around. She looked at him, her eyes devoid of warmth. "I didn't know you were gone."  
  
"I needed to get out of the house for awhile, although I wish I didn't leave."  
  
"Why?" Courtney asked.  
  
"Please don't pretend like you care about me, Courtney," Damian said, "I can deal with the animosity, deal with the mistrust. But I can't deal with everyone trying to act all nice with me when they obviously don't."  
  
"Damian," She started, "I know I haven't exactly been that supportive of you being around here, and I won't apologize for that, but I can see that Sonny is happy. I know that my brother wants you to be here, and Michael wants you to be here, that's good enough for me."  
  
"Is it really?"  
  
"I know what it's like, Damian. I know exactly what you're going through, coming into Sonny's life unannounced, trying to adjust to living in his all too hectic world. It's a lot to take in. But the only way you can hope to cope with everything is to talk about it with someone. Even if that person isn't someone you're particularly fond of. You don't have a lot of people on your side in this family, but you're also not trying to change that. If you want us to accept you then it can't be with you holding secrets from any of us." She could sense the visible change in Damian's mood. It had switched from hostile to vulnerable in an instant. It actually alarmed her. "Damian, what is it?"  
  
"Kyle Radcliff is dead."  
  
Courtney was shocked but it didn't make much sense, "Why should you care? Kyle tried to throw you in jail yesterday."  
  
"I saw him dying, Courtney. I held him and tried to get him some help but I couldn't do it alone. When someone else came and called for an ambulance it was already too late. He died just as he got to the hospital. I hate that I couldn't get him some help," Damian almost slammed his fist on the table, but Morgan was there and he kept himself in check, "I wasn't a fan of the guy but he shouldn't have died. And now all I can think about is my mother and how she died. His eyes at the end, hers used to be exactly like that from time to time. She'd drift in and out of consciousness even with her eyes open. Sometimes she'd be there, smiling and trying to tell me that everything would be okay. Other times there wouldn't be anything that I saw in her that I recognized. It was my mother's face but it instead of her warmth there was nothing but a cold void. What am I going to do?" He asked, "If I even go through with this dream of becoming a doctor how am I going to cope with the people that I can't save? How can I look at eyes like that and know that I didn't save that patient from the grip of death? How can I look into those eyes knowing that I've done my part in bringing down a family of people who cared deeply for that person?"  
  
"Damian, stop it!" Courtney grabbed his arm, she could feel how tense it was, "What happened wasn't your fault. You tried to help him and you couldn't. You tried to help someone that had only given you grief because you felt it was the right thing to do. Kyle's had his fair share of drug problems before. Believe me, you had nothing to do with it." She felt so badly for this boy, he was going through so much and parts of what he was going through would never heal. "Go sit on the couch and I'll Morgan back to sleep upstairs." Courtney watched as her nephew plopped himself on the couch, head buried in his hands. She walked behind him and started to walk up the stairs, one last look at him and she thought that maybe she was wrong with her earlier judgment. 


	22. Deals and Promises

Notes: They actually REMEMBERED that other people exist in the cast of GH yesterday. So very fascinating. Best of all, I saw Lucky! Yes, I'm quite thrilled. Anyway, I didn't get any writing done with this story yesterday, blame my mother for taking me shopping for four hours, during peak writing time. Evil woman. And I don't know if I can write anything today (people will be over for the most part, and I refuse to write when people are around) or tomorrow (I'll just be too busy playing with my new games and stuff to write), so it looks like I'm losing the lead that I gave myself. I think I can recover, though. Since this is the last post I will make pre- holiday, I do wish you all the best Hanukkah (It's still going, right?), Christmas, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day, any other holiday that I'm not aware of, or, if you don't like the holidays, just a happy late December! Post more in a few days!  
  
Shadow- Patience endures for those who wait. I've written the reason why Damian might have reason to take the job, it should be up by mid-next week. So you might not have to wait all that long. This chapter was difficult to convey correctly, without making it sound too soapy or over the top. I'm glad I was able to do it in your eyes. Thank you.  
  
Story-  
  
Courtney brought a warm cup of tea to the young man that was still in shock on the couch. He had barely moved. She hoped everything was all right. "Here," She said as she placed the cup on the table, "You look like you could use something to ease up your nerves."  
  
Damian moved his hand towards the cup. It felt warm to the touch, "Tea."  
  
"Do you prefer coffee?" Courtney asked, knowing that she knew next to nothing about her nephew, part of which was her own fault.  
  
He shook his head, "No, I love tea. Thanks."  
  
Courtney sat on the chair next to him, "You know you're making quite the name for yourself in this town already. You've almost been arrested for assault and now-"  
  
"Is this supposed to help?" Damian asked.  
  
"I'm sorry," Courtney corrected herself. Talking about Kyle was probably the last thing he wanted to do right now, but it was the most important thing at the moment. "Are you going to be okay?"  
  
He chuckled, "I don't think I ever will be. But then I wasn't sure I ever would be long before I came to this town."  
  
"What are you going to tell Sonny?"  
  
He responded almost instantly, "Nothing. Sonny doesn't need to know what happened."  
  
"He's your father, Damian. You shouldn't hide any secrets from him, especially not if you're truly trying to form a relationship with him. The easiest way to alienate yourself from Sonny is to lie about something when he only wants the truth," She thought back to the ordeal with Carly and the gunshot to the head. How Carly's attempt to protect him from knowing about her feelings for Lorenzo almost cost them all everything. "Believe me, I know how he is."  
  
"This isn't a secret," Damian pointed out, "I had nothing to do with Kyle's death. I was only trying to help him."  
  
"Still, he has a right to know."  
  
"If I don't tell him," Damian pulled his hands away from his eyes and looked at Courtney, "Will you?"  
  
"If it gets to a point where I can see it is putting strain on you I will," Courtney answered, "Sonny's very understanding about a lot of things if you would just take the time and speak with him about them."  
  
"He's obviously got patience if he can put up with Carly," Damian commented. "Sorry, I shouldn't be taking out my frustrations on someone who isn't even here."  
  
"You really don't like her, do you?" Courtney asked.  
  
"It's not that," Damian began, "It's just that I don't get the chance to show her anything but what she wants to see about me. I know she doesn't like that I came here and I accept that. I'm not here to hurt anyone, Courtney. Sonny can see it, so can Michael. Yet every time I look in Carly's eyes I can see nothing more than scorn. I can sense that she just wants me to go away. Just like you."  
  
Courtney sighed, "Maybe I was wrong about you. I'm sorry that I've been fighting you since you've gotten here. I just want to protect them, you know? Sonny's my big brother but I worry about him constantly. Carly's the best friend I've ever had and I don't want to see her get hurt. Michael and Morgan are so much a part of my life that I would give anything to see them happy. I've seen them all hurt by too many people since I've come to this place. I've let them be hurt by every single one of those people and it's crushed me when I watch and see what I couldn't stop. I shouldn't use that hostility against you, though. It isn't fair to any of us. I came into this family a lot like you did. I don't know why I'm fighting you so much."  
  
"Neither do I," Damian uttered, "There's a lot of things about this family that I don't understand."  
  
"Why don't I make you a deal?"  
  
"What kind of deal?"  
  
Courtney walked over the couch and sat next to Damian, "That we try and become friends, that we try and become a family. We're always going to be united by blood, Damian. But I'd really like it to be more than that. Jason's blood related to the Quartermaines, but he doesn't feel connected with most of them. He feels connected with us. I want this family to be united on all levels."  
  
"I'd like that as well," Damian said, "But I'd be a fool if I thought it was really that simple."  
  
"You're only going to beat the hardest problems you'll ever come across if you take the steps to beat them, not avoid them."  
  
"Do you honestly believe that we can do it?" Damian wondered, "Do you truly think that Carly and I can peacefully co-exist in this house?"  
  
Courtney smiled, "Believe me, if Sonny and Carly can learn to love one another then there's hope for just about anyone. Just give her time. She's always been a bit thickheaded."  
  
"Why were you here? Sonny and Carly wouldn't leave Morgan without Leticia to watch him."  
  
Courtney looked up at the stairs that lead into Morgan's room, "I love that little boy so much. Carly wasn't able to take care of him for the first few weeks of his life, so I did it for her. I grew attached to the little tyke, and I'd like to think that he grew attached to me as well. Sometimes I just come in and hold him, talk to him. It makes us both feel better."  
  
"You'll be a good mom someday, Courtney," Damian said, "I can tell." Courtney shifted her gaze away from her nephew. He saw that she was not happy, "What is it?"  
  
"I, I can't have children, Damian," She informed him.  
  
"I'm so sorry, I didn't know," Damian's tone of voice was as sympathetic as ever.  
  
"Most people don't," Courtney wiped a tear from her eye, "I was pregnant before. We were all so happy that Carly and I could be mothers to newborns at the same time. But I lost the baby and in doing so lost almost every chance of ever having another child."  
  
"You didn't have to tell me that you know," Damian grabbed his aunt's hand, "You don't owe me anything."  
  
"No more secrets, remember?" Courtney reminded him, "If I expect you to be upfront with me and the rest of the family then how can I not expect the same from myself?"  
  
"You're supposed to be the one making me feel better and I go and step all over that and make you feel bad."  
  
"Do you feel better?" Courtney wondered.  
  
"I guess I do. Thanks."  
  
Courtney walked over to the phone and dialed a number. Within a few rings someone on the other line answered, "Hey," She started, "Yeah, it's me. Listen, could you please meet me at Kelly's in a few minutes? No, nothing's wrong, but there's someone I want you to meet. Okay, see you in a couple." She hung up the phone, "Come on."  
  
"Who was that?"  
  
"Somebody you should meet," Courtney answered, "Someone you should have met awhile ago."  
  
Scorpio Household-  
  
Dillon rushed to the door and almost pushed it open without turning the knob. Georgie sounded hysterical on the phone. She never lost control like that. Was Mac hurt? He was a cop, anything could happen. He looked around and saw that no one was in the living room, "Georgie!" Dillon dashed up the stairs and saw her door was open. Georgie was on her bed. "Georgie!"  
  
Georgie looked up and saw her boyfriend standing there. Her eyes were red from crying for so long. She got up and pushed herself into his arms. "Dillon, I thought you'd never come."  
  
Dillon was now more worried than ever. "What is it?"  
  
"He's dead," Georgie muttered.  
  
Dillon felt his body go numb. He was right. Mac was dead. Now Georgie would have to go live with Felicia in Texas. She and Maxie wouldn't be able to live in Port Charles alone, "I won't let them take you away, Georgie!"  
  
Georgie looked up, "What are you talking about?"  
  
"I won't let them take you and Maxie back to Texas. I'll talk to my grandfather. I'll beg for his mercy and even cut my hair if he'll just find some way to keep you here!"  
  
"Why would Maxie and I be going anywhere?"  
  
Dillon felt quite uncomfortable, "I thought Mac was dead."  
  
Georgie shook her head, "Mac's not dead."  
  
"Then who is?"  
  
"Kyle," Georgie answered sadly.  
  
"Oh my God," Dillon was almost speechless. Kyle was dead? The guy who made his life a living hell from the moment he first stepped foot in Port Charles was gone? The rich boy who made sure that everyone knew that he thought he was the best thing to happen on this planet since the invention of television was gone? The teen who almost hit, "Maxie? How is she?"  
  
"Taking it really bad," Georgie said.  
  
"I don't see why she should be. He treated her like she was nothing to him."  
  
"I know, but she never wanted him dead."  
  
"I never wanted him dead either," Dillon stated.  
  
"None of us did."  
  
"How did it happen?"  
  
Georgie sat on the bed again, "I don't really know. He was wheeled in and they said he was overdosing on some drugs, but aside from that I don't have any other information. I don't know what drug he took. I don't know if it was something he did with Maxie while they were still together." The thought crossed her mind, "What if Maxie decides to do drugs again, Dillon? What if she can't cope with the pain any other way and I end up losing my sister the same way she lost Kyle?"  
  
"That won't happen, Georgie!" Maxie said from the doorway as she hurried forward and hugged her sister. Both of them began sobbing uncontrollably. Maxie forced herself to speak in between sobs, "I won't ever do drugs again! I don't want to overdose on anything anymore. Last time I got lucky. If I do it again I might end up like Kyle. I don't want you to see me die for a long time!"  
  
"Promise me?" Georgie said.  
  
"I promise." Maxie replied. 


	23. Family, the Good and the Bad

Notes: After a brief hiatus, the story is back! I do hope you all had wonderful holidays, unless you celebrate Boxing Day since you'd be having it right about now. I have reaffirmed my hatred for small children. My 2 year old cousin who enjoys biting people was following me around yesterday. It wasn't fun. Enough about that.  
  
Shadow- Emotional chapters are loads of fun. Granted, writing Faith is more fun, but that's a different kind of fun.  
  
Shamira- Looks like you have 7 chapters now. I'm sorry that your computer went crazy. Don't worry, you haven't missed much. Okay, you have, but I was trying to make it seem better than it really was.  
  
Story-  
  
Outside Kelly's-  
  
"I have to ask this," Damian started, "Is Kelly's the only place that people go to in Port Charles?"  
  
Courtney giggled a little, "No, there are a few other places. We seem to enjoy the hospital as well. This is, however, the best place for most things."  
  
"Why are we here?"  
  
Courtney looked in the window and didn't see what she was looking for. Her brow furrowed a bit, but there was still plenty of time for him to show up, "It's a surprise. One that I am almost certain you will like. But it isn't ready yet. We should just go inside and wait for everything to come into place."  
  
"I've got a bad feeling about this," Damian stated with a sigh.  
  
"What makes you think that anything bad could happen at a place like this?" Courtney wondered.  
  
Damian shrugged his shoulders slightly, "What can I say? I'm a cynic at heart."  
  
"Try and lighten up a bit, would you?" Courtney requested. She pushed the door open and they both walked in. As if without fail Elizabeth was working at the counter again. She saw them both and smiled, although truthfully it was more towards Damian than it was Courtney.  
  
They found a table for themselves and sat in the chairs. Elizabeth walked over, "How's everything going?"  
  
"I've had better days," Damian responded, "But, all things considered, everything's okay."  
  
"Until now," Courtney stated with a slight sneer as she watched Ric walk into the place.  
  
Elizabeth ignored Courtney's hatred of Ric. She had ample reason to feel nothing more than disdain for the old Ric. Just about everyone in Port Charles did. He had hurt so many people in the past, but it was all behind him. At least that was her hope. She was giving him the benefit of the doubt because she believed that he was a changed person. She wished that it wasn't her error once again. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Why can't the males in our bloodline go a day without doing something to get them in trouble?" Ric asked out loud.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Elizabeth asked.  
  
"He's dead," Ric said, "I bet that makes you feel just great."  
  
"Ric, answer me!" Elizabeth demanded.  
  
"My new nephew appears to be enjoying walking along the same path as his father," Ric informed Elizabeth. "Already the only person that has stood against him has turned up dead."  
  
"He tried to save Kyle, Ric," Courtney defended her nephew in the exact opposite way of Ric's tactics.  
  
"Easiest way to make it seem like you're not guilty of something is to make it look like you're trying to help that person when others come around, Courtney," Ric replied back.  
  
"I'm sure you've used that in your favor plenty of times in the past," Courtney remarked. "Since we all know how entirely corrupt that soul of yours is. Assuming you haven't sold it to the devil."  
  
"I told you to watch yourself," Ric continued berating Damian.  
  
"Is it so hard for you to even fathom the idea that I really did just try and help Kyle?" Damian asked, "People tend to help other people who are dying. I believe the word is called compassion. Did you skip that on your word of the day calendar growing up?"  
  
"The last thing I need is a lecture on compassion from Sonny Corinthos's son."  
  
"I feel the same way," Damian snapped back, "Just replace the son with half- brother and we're describing you."  
  
"Don't you ever get tired of stalking us, Lansing?" Courtney asked with a shot of disgust in her voice.  
  
"It's my job as assistant district attorney to help weed out the corruption in this town. The first people on that list would be Sonny and Jason."  
  
"I'd take a look in the mirror and rate yourself on that scale," Courtney retorted.  
  
"I don't think that you're telling me the truth, kid."  
  
"You can accuse me of doing something to kill Kyle all you want," Damian said. "The only ones that know what really happened are me and him, one of us isn't about to talk anytime soon."  
  
"I'm almost inclined to ask which one," Ric remarked sarcastically.  
  
"Lansing, are we going to need a restraining order placed on you and my family in order to finally keep you away?" Mike Corbin saw Courtney being razzed by someone. It shouldn't have surprised him at all when it turned out to be Ric Lansing.  
  
Courtney smiled, "Dad."  
  
"Please leave us alone," Mike said.  
  
"I'm not done yet!" Ric proclaimed.  
  
"Yes, you are," Elizabeth tugged at his shoulder and he followed her until she was back at the counter. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Your new friend, who just happens to be Sonny's son-"  
  
"I know that," Elizabeth cut in.  
  
Ric jerked his head a little, "And you didn't tell me?"  
  
"It wasn't my place to tell you anything about your family, Ric," Elizabeth said, "Besides, it looks like you found out just fine without me."  
  
"Well whoever he is, the boy has been busy stirring up trouble. He engaged in fisticuffs with Kyle Radcliff yesterday and today Kyle died of a drug overdose with Damian being at the scene."  
  
"He says he was trying to help Kyle." She looked at Damian, "I believe him. Damian is a nice person and I don't think he would kill anyone."  
  
"How can you be so blind?" Ric asked.  
  
She looked at Ric, "I don't know, Ric. I really don't know how I can be so blind to see that you still can't get over Sonny."  
  
"Wait, Elizabeth, that's not what I meant!"  
  
"It's your job," Elizabeth shook her head, "I know that, Ric. But you're using that job to drag down the name of someone that doesn't deserve to be harassed. You don't have any real evidence that proves he was trying to hurt Kyle, do you?"  
  
"No, it's all speculation."  
  
"Until you find something worth bugging him it would be better to just stay away," Elizabeth stated. "Sonny will sue you and the department for harassment and you could lose your job as ADA and any career your might have been able to fall back on in the attorney business would be discredited as well. Think about this for a second, Ric. Is that really worth throwing away everything that you've worked so hard on obtaining during your life?"  
  
"Including you?" Ric asked softly. "If I did this would it throw away any chances that I have with you."  
  
"I hate it when you act like the person you were, Ric," Elizabeth responded, "I won't stand around and be hurt by being nothing more than a bed warmer in the war you carry on against Sonny. Really think about everything, Ric. Think about the person you were then and the person you are now. One of them has to be erased, they can't peacefully coexist. Which one is it going to be?"  
  
"What would I do without you to tether me to humanity?" Ric asked. "As long as I have you nothing else matters to me."  
  
"Really?" Elizabeth tilted her head towards the trio, "Prove it. Leave them alone unless you have a good reason to bring charges against them."  
  
"I hate him so much," Courtney said.  
  
"Don't worry about him, honey," Mike consoled his daughter, "You didn't ask me here to have a fight with Ric Lansing. I'd really like to know why you did, though."  
  
"I think I have the answer to that question, Mike," Everyone turned around to see Sonny, Carly, and Michael. It was Sonny who spoke.  
  
"Grandpa!" Michael rushed into Mike's open arms. The elder Michael hoisted the younger into the air.  
  
"The day just keeps on getting better for you, doesn't it?" Carly asked her son, a wide smile on her face.  
  
"If Uncle Jason and Morgan were here then everyone in the family would be together!" Michael looked around.  
  
"You all seem to be in on some inside joke that I'm drawing a blank on," Mike said, "Would someone please fill in the old man?"  
  
"I should have told you as soon as I found out, but everything was so hectic that I didn't really think about it."  
  
"Sonny, just tell me."  
  
"You're a grandfather again," Sonny said.  
  
Mike laughed, "The two of you are just like rabbits! Are you sure that it's safe to be having another child right now? So soon after Morgan?"  
  
"I'm not pregnant again," Carly informed her father-in-law.  
  
Mike looked puzzled, and for good reason. He had no idea what was going on, "This is making my head hurt."  
  
"That young man right there is the grandson you never knew," Sonny pointed to Damian.  
  
Mike turned his head, Michael still attached to his neck like a monkey, "How?"  
  
"It's a long story," Damian said, "The abridged version is that Sonny didn't know that I was his son, or that I even existed, until I came here."  
  
"Well isn't this a blessing in disguise?" Mike asked as he smiled at his new grandson.  
  
Carly looked away and barely spoke the words, "Or a curse."  
  
Docks-  
  
Zander was waiting, looking at the ocean. Faith walked up behind him, "Normally I don't take commands from my underlings when they say that I need to see them right away. You just used up your freebie, cutie."  
  
"That boy you gave the drugs to last night is dead, Faith," Zander said without turning around. "He overdosed on something, and we both know what it is."  
  
"Pity," Faith said sadly, "I wanted to play with him some."  
  
"You think this is funny?" Zander asked, "Faith, a boy died because of us. A boy died because you provided him with the means."  
  
"We're all going to die, Zander," Faith commented, "Some of us just get to have a lot more fun during life than others."  
  
"I knew I shouldn't have let you give him those pills," Zander said sadly.  
  
"This isn't the best business for you to have a crisis of conscience," Faith walked to his side, "Face it, you're the pawn in this game and I'm the queen."  
  
"I want out."  
  
Faith laughed, "Oh really?"  
  
"I'm not kidding, Faith," Zander pointed out, "I cannot do this anymore."  
  
"I'd hate to see that nice suit and the body that wears it made into something that looked like Swiss cheese," She brushed off his coat, "But you see that's the only way that anyone really gets out of this life, Zander. You have to do. And if you're so bent on suicide then I don't really mind helping you. But deep down you don't want that, do you? You don't want to be buried."  
  
"No," Zander shook his head, "I don't."  
  
"Then we all win!" Faith exclaimed, "Come on, we've got work to do." 


	24. Little White Lies

Shadow- Aside from that unfortunate incident, I DID have quite a good Christmas. I hope yours was good to you as well. I am sorry that your niece is like that, I can only hope that she'll grow out of it. Why can't all small children be like Michael? Ah, that would be something akin to a utopian society. Dare to dream.  
  
Story-  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
Damian wanted to sleep. He truly did. He wanted to close his eyes and drift away from his problems, if only for a few short hours. But he couldn't. He'd put his head down on his pillow and shut his eyes only to see another pair staring at him. Kyle's. He was afraid of what was going to happen. It was unlikely that he knew he was going to die, but he knew something was wrong. Perhaps in those last moments he found peace with himself, the person he was. Damian sincerely doubted it, but hoped for the result anyway. That Cop and Ric were right, fingers would point at him regardless of his innocence. He didn't regret being there for Maxie, helping her out when she needed it. He did regret being there for Kyle and failing to help him. It was just a string of bad luck that appeared to follow the young man wherever he went. He wanted to get away from it all, but this was his home now. He was just beginning to build relationships with Sonny, Courtney, and Michael, he couldn't just abandon them so quickly. He was in a lose-lose situation. Someone knocked at his door, "Come in," He said after getting over the startled feeling that surrounded him when he heard the knock.  
  
Sonny pushed the door open and smiled, "You got a minute?"  
  
Damian nodded, "I think I can spare a minute. You finally got Michael to sleep?"  
  
"Yeah," Sonny replied, "I don't know what it is about that boy. He was wired on something."  
  
"He was just happy about having everyone be together, except for Jason." Damian thought about it for a moment, "Where was Jason anyway?"  
  
"He had some business to take care of," Sonny kept out the exact details of their business.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"I'm really sorry about today," Sonny stated.  
  
Damian didn't quite understand, "I thought today was great. It's not everyday that I get to meet my paternal grandfather for the first time."  
  
"I shouldn't have waited so long," Sonny said, "And I should have been the one to tell Mike about you, not Courtney."  
  
"You mad at her?"  
  
"Of course not," Sonny quickly replied, "She was just doing what her heart was telling her. That girl loves being around her family. It's a good thing that Mike and I stayed away from her for so long. Before she came along we were always at each other's throats. I still hated him for making me and my mother fend for ourselves, and ultimately leading us into the life of Trevor Lansing."  
  
"You seem to be on better terms now," Damian said, thinking about how the two of them were acting around one another at Kelly's.  
  
"We're civil with each other and I don't hate him anymore, but I'm still disappointed in him. I don't think I will ever forgive Mike for doing what he did to my mother and I. I don't think I can ever call him 'dad'. Courtney's so forgiving when it comes to just about anything. She has a good heart and I really do think it's because Mike stayed away from her for so long. She didn't see him at his worst like I did. You can start over in a relationship, but the things that happened in the past may never actually heal. That's why I don't mind that you don't call me 'dad', Damian. I'd be a hypocrite if I just expected you to forgive everything."  
  
"Maybe the time will come, Sonny," Damian said, "I can't predict the future and I won't even try but there might be a time when I can feel that we have a strong enough bond, one like you and Michael have."  
  
"Well, I just wanted to tell you that before the day ended," Sonny motioned to get up.  
  
"Wait," Damian grabbed at his arm, "I need to tell you something."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Kyle Radcliff died this morning," Damian turned away, "Ric came into Kelly's before you got there and started saying that I had something to do with it."  
  
Sonny didn't have anything other than a stupid question to ask. Sometimes they were better than not asking anything at all, "What would make him think that?"  
  
"Because I was with him before he died," Damian informed his father, "Kyle overdosed and I found him less than twenty minutes before he was pronounced dead. Another person came by and called for help, but I later found out he was a cop and he started throwing accusations that it was my fault, too."  
  
"Who was it?" Sonny asked.  
  
"Officer Spencer."  
  
"Lucky?" Sonny shook his head. He would have thought that Carly's cousin wouldn't have jumped to such conclusions without any evidence. Maybe his deepest fears about the PCPD were coming true. It was corrupting everyone against him. "You didn't do it, did you?"  
  
"Of course not!" Damian almost yelled, "Why does everyone think that I had something to do with it?"  
  
"I just needed to hear it from you," Sonny said, "And I believe you."  
  
"Too bad you're not the only one I need to convince," Damian remarked sadly.  
  
"You don't need to convince anyone in this town of anything. They'll try and drag your name through the gutter a thousand times over and I won't let them. You're my son and you're under my protection, that includes legal protection. If they even think about putting you in jail I will personally see to it that the entire building is knocked down if that's what it takes to get you out."  
  
"That's not the only thing that's bothering me," Damian said, "Lucky made some strange allegations about you. He said that you would know what happened, that you had something to do with it."  
  
"I didn't," Sonny said.  
  
"The police officers were saying something about you yesterday before you got there, too. Sonny, why do the police hate you so much?"  
  
"Because they can't stand that I'm successful in ways that they could never imagine," Sonny remarked, "They're trying to break me down and take everything that I worked so hard for."  
  
"And they're doing this just to spite you?"  
  
Sonny closed his eyes, "I've done a lot of things in this town that I regret. Things that give me an image that I'm not entirely innocent of, but not to the degree that they make it seem. I've hurt a lot of people in my life, but it's always because they needed it to happen."  
  
"You do a lot to protect the people that you care about, don't you?"  
  
Sonny nodded, "The people that I love have saved me from myself so many times that it's the least I can do to repay them. If I didn't have Carly, Michael, Morgan, Jason, and Courtney I don't think that I would be alive right now. I was always so busy concentrating on the business that it would have eventually gotten me into a lot of trouble or worse. Now I have a family, something that I can look forward to not because of the money that it gives me, but because of the fact that I enjoy watching my kids grow up, I enjoy spending time with my wife and my sister. I don't want to give that up and anyone who tries to take it away from me is going to find that I don't go down easily."  
  
"Courtney was telling me that you and Carly weren't very fond of one another when you first met."  
  
Sonny laughed, "We hated each other. It was like gasoline and fire whenever the two of us got together."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Over time we were forced to spend more time together and while that happened we got to know each other better. When that happened we just stopped hating one another and fell in love. We've hit a few rough spots before, but we've gotten through them relatively unscathed." Sonny thought of all the things that had happened to them since they fell in love. He thought of them losing their first child in order to save Carly's life. Most importantly he thought of the bullet that he put in Carly's brain on accident. He didn't deserve her. He didn't deserve the children that he had. He didn't deserve a sister like Courtney or a best friend like Jason. The only things that he deserved were the material possessions that he had purchased with the fortune he had amassed. The rest of it was sheer luck.  
  
"Do you think that Carly and I can do something like that? You know, without the kids and everything."  
  
"She'll warm up to you sometime. How can she not? Michael already worships you and for good reason. Despite everything that you've been through you've got a good head on your shoulders."  
  
"I don't know how I managed to survive without her," Damian said, "My world crumbled and I was just there in the void."  
  
"You have plenty that you can look for in the future," Sonny stated, "You're going to be a better father than me or Mike ever were, and you're going to help people. Don't let what happened to your mother and Kyle stop you from pursuing that dream."  
  
"What if I can't do it?"  
  
"I'll bet any amount of money that you can do whatever you set your sights on, Damian. If you have any of my blood in you, which you do, you'd be too stubborn to just give up when something doesn't go your way." Sonny got up and Damian let him this time, "I'll see you in the morning."  
  
Damian nodded, "Night."  
  
Sonny closed the door behind him and Damian turned off the lights. If anything that Sonny said was at all true then he'd find a way to battle his nightmares. There was only one way to find out. 


	25. Truth Revealed

Notes: We're doing some fast fowarding for the story now. Don't worry, it will all be explained and there shouldn't be any linger plot holes. If you find any please let me know as I will do my best to rectify them.  
  
Shadow- The conversation between father and son was supposed to be a very foreshadowing part to the overall plot of this story. You'll see what I mean soon enough.  
  
Story-  
  
Two weeks had passed in the blink of an eye. School had finally begun and Damian had a purpose again. Much to his surprise, and gratitude, Sonny paid for everything. That meant to say that Sonny paid for books, tuition, and the vacated apartment above Kelly's that was still his to stay in if he needed an escape. Sonny and he were getting along great, although there were a few finite amount of times that the two were alone together. And even in the rare occurrence that they were alone they wouldn't say much to each other. Still, they felt comfortable around each other, and that was an improvement. Especially considering Carly. She was still as hesitant as she was when Damian first came to Port Charles. Even with Michael's admiration for his big brother, Carly just wasn't having anything to do with him. She was happy that Sonny got what he wanted. She could see that he was grateful for the chances that he got. It wasn't what she wanted, though. She wanted him out of their lives, out of all their lives. She had fooled herself into thinking that she could make it work with Damian, but her heart wouldn't let her accept Sonny's son. Only out of her love for her husband and her oldest child did she keep her reservations to herself for the most part. The occasional venomous comment would come out of her lips, but such slips were few and far between. Miraculously he had found some way to steer Courtney into his camp and away from hers. She still had Jason, though. He would never abandon her.  
  
The search into the accidental drug overdose of Kyle Radcliff was still an open investigation. The police had not spent any time pestering the Corinthos family because they knew that they did not have ample evidence to bring any claims that they may have pinned onto Damian into court and win the favor of the jury. With their luck Damian would prove to be just as good, if not better than, his father when it came to working a jury into his corner. Any further breakthroughs in the case would be dependent on the autopsy, which was due anytime. None of the police officers were bothered by the death of Kyle, most of them were just looking for a way to bring down a Corinthos. It was one of the highest possible achievements for those in the Port Charles force. Scott Baldwin, as always, was the most enthusiastic about the entire situation. He wanted to bring Sonny down more than anyone. Even Ric.  
  
Maxie did not attend his funeral. She couldn't bear to see his body in the casket and then have it lowered into the ground. There was a certain satisfaction that she couldn't dare admit but would never say aloud in the fact that he was dead, there was no way he would hurt her or any other woman ever again. Her heart still went out to his parents. They didn't spend much time with their son, but no parent ever truly deserves to see their child buried. Especially at such a young age. She was slowly getting her life back on track, starting the community college and getting along decently even without the help of Georgie. Her younger sister was so proud, but was also continually bogged down with all the work that she had to do. Rarely did Georgie even have time for Dillon, an outcome that pleased Mac very much. He had stopped trying to force Maxie to tell him what she was feeling, he felt that she would tell him in her own way at her own pace. She hadn't even seen Damian in days. At times she would think about the mysterious new boy that came into town and saved her from her own insecurities. She was thankful that she met him and very thankful that he helped her when he did. When Mac told her about the accusations that had been brought upon him by the police department she was appalled. She didn't believe that he could do such a thing, even if he was the son of Sonny Corinthos. Mac didn't believe it either, which made her feel better about the whole situation. Sometimes she hated the way her father would act when it came to his job. There was so many times that Mac just refused to listen. Dillon was the classic example. He would automatically pin anything that happened with Dillon on him and use it as a part in his campaign against him and Georgie being an item. It was a tactic that he still used to this day, although he had lightened up a bit. He'd no longer threaten to arrest Dillon if he came in and saw them kissing. The cold stare of death was more than enough for them to stop.  
  
Lorenzo had not gotten an answer from Damian regarding the offer that he made to the boy. It was disheartening that he couldn't use Sonny's son against him as originally intended. Recently, however, there were events that allowed him to still get what he wanted. He could be a part in Sonny's defeat. It would all come into effect in a matter of moments.  
  
Port Charles Docks-  
  
Sonny walked down the steps like he had done thousands of times before in his life. He saw Alcazar standing there, looking directly at him with his ice blue eyes. Sonny sneered at one of the many people that had gotten on his bad list. Lorenzo was near the top, if not the number one violator. "Why am I not surprised to see you here?"  
  
"So you received the note," Lorenzo said.  
  
"Yeah," Sonny walked closer, "I got a note from my wife that she wanted to meet me at the docks. Yet I don't see Carly anywhere around here, but you are. Did you kidnap her again? Put her on some yacht in the Caribbean and attempt to woo her away from me yet again? When are you going to understand that she doesn't love you, Alcazar? She wears my ring, she's the mother of my children, she uses my last name."  
  
"I would never lay a finger on Carly," Lorenzo commented, "Unlike some people in this area I care about her too much for actions like that. I don't attempt to put her life in danger, which is something that you've never seemed to have a problem with. Still, I had a professional forgery expert make that note for you. It would be the only way that I could know that you would come into contact with me."  
  
"If I knew that it was you, I wouldn't have come." He smiled, "And now that I know that you're the only person here and not my wife, I'll be going now."  
  
Some of Lorenzo's men quickly surrounded Sonny. He turned to Alcazar and saw the amused look plastered on the taller man. Lorenzo spoke to his men, "No need to shoot Mr. Corinthos, at least not yet." He turned his attentions to Sonny yet again, "Another thing that I've noticed about you since you got your beloved wife back to only further put her and the children that you proclaim to love so much in the way of danger is that you don't walk around with your guards constantly surrounding you anymore. That's not exactly the smartest thing for a man of your power and influence to do when you walk around in the center of your sphere of power. You're getting careless, Sonny. You should know that the careless people are always the ones that die first."  
  
"Carly's going to love hearing about this," Sonny stated, "You claim to love her so much yet you're willing to kill me. You really think that killing the man that she loves will make her fall in love with you?"  
  
"There is no reason to involve Carly in this," Lorenzo remarked, "I wish only to discuss business with you."  
  
"I'm not in the business anymore. Didn't you get the memo?"  
  
"I'll never believe that you just up and dropped the mobster life because of one little incident."  
  
"It wasn't a little incident," Sonny retorted, "I almost lost the woman I loved and our baby because I let you get underneath my skin. Even when I got her back she didn't know anything about our love, she couldn't remember that I love her more than anything else. That bullet cost me everything for a few months, I never want it to happen again."  
  
"I want to move some product in. As always I have to request that you do not do anything to retaliate against my ship."  
  
Sonny rolled his eyes, "If you need to talk with someone about this, talk to Jason. He's in control of my empire now."  
  
Lorenzo was silent for a moment before he conceded, "I never truly believed that you had quit, Sonny. I guess I was wrong. Let him go." The men all dropped their weapons. Sonny started to walk away, "I shall contact Morgan later."  
  
"Do whatever you want," Sonny called as he walked through the crowd.  
  
Lorenzo waited for a minute before he smiled again, "So careless that you didn't even bother to frisk me." Lorenzo dug into his coat pocket and pulled out a small black tape recorder, "Prepare to have your perfect little world shattered into a thousand pieces, Sonny."  
  
Outside Kelly's-  
  
Damian was walking back to the penthouse when he saw Maxie sitting at one of the coffee tables reading a book under the warm rays of the sun. The two hadn't crossed paths since that day in the hospital. His first instinct was to just pass by, but he opted against it. "Hello, Maxie."  
  
Maxie turned her eyes up from the book and smiled, "Damian, how are you?"  
  
"I'm doing quite well. How are you?"  
  
"I've certainly felt better in my life, but I'm managing to deal with everything pretty well."  
  
Damian smiled, "That is very good to hear. Did they ever find out what it was that he overdosed on?"  
  
Maxie shook her head, "The results haven't come back yet. He really liked ecstasy but he did so many different drugs and was always willing to try something new. It could have been anything."  
  
Damian changed the subject to something happier, "How's college treating you?"  
  
"I don't have to spend as much time in class as I did when I was in high school, that's a good thing."  
  
Damian agreed, "There is a certain benefit to being able to choose when you go to class, isn't there?"  
  
"I just don't like this book that we're reading in my English class," She threw the book on the table, "I've never been much of a reader."  
  
Damian looked at the title, "Bless Me Ultima. I read this book in High School. How far along are you?"  
  
"Second chapter," Maxie replied in a defeated tone.  
  
Damian chuckled, "Almost all books start off at a slow pace, Maxie. Believe me this book will get much better as you get further along. I almost cried at the end." Maxie couldn't help but giggle at the prospect. Damian cocked an eyebrow at her, "What? You don't think that men can be as emotional as women? Just because we didn't all cry when Rose let go of Jack like the rest of the theater doesn't mean that we're emotionless boars."  
  
"Now you're making movie references. You should really spend some time with Dillon," Maxie stopped laughing but she still found the idea amusing.  
  
"Who?"  
  
"My sister's boyfriend," Maxie proclaimed.  
  
"Oh," Damian dug into his bag and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen, "I'll have to take a rain check on that encounter. I'm already bogged down with work." He wrote down a number on the sheet and handed it to Maxie, "That's my cell phone number, a perk from Sonny. If you need any help with digesting that book don't hesitate to call. Don't hesitate just in case you need a friend, too."  
  
She nodded as she put the number in her purse, "I'll keep that in mind."  
  
Damian gave a shallow wave before he continued down the path, "See you sometime later, Maxie."  
  
Maxie waved back and watched him turn the corner. She looked at the book that was lying on the table and eyed it cautiously. She didn't want to read it anymore. She was already that disheartened with the material. But if Damian said that it would get better as the book went along she'd give it a try. She smiled again thinking about him almost crying as she picked up the book and continued reading.  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
Sometime later Damian opened the door to the penthouse. Michael was sitting on the ground playing with his toys. The redheaded child turned his head and his face beamed as he saw who had come in, "Damian!"  
  
"Hey, Michael," Damian responded.  
  
"Did you have fun at school?"  
  
"I don't know if I had fun," Damian began, "But I did learn a lot of important things today."  
  
"You look tired," Michael said as he watched his brother plop on the couch.  
  
"Just carrying around these books takes a lot of effort," Damian informed the boy.  
  
"I'll bet I could do it!" Michael exclaimed.  
  
Damian grinned, "I don't think you can, Michael."  
  
"How much you want to bet?" Michael asked sinisterly.  
  
Damian thought about it, "If you can pick up my books with my backpack around your shoulders I will take you to Kelly's and buy you an ice cream sundae. If you can't then you have to take a bath today without complaining to Leticia."  
  
"But I hate taking baths!" Michael whined.  
  
"That's the bet, kid. Take it or leave it."  
  
Michael pondered it, his burrowing his face in deep contemplation, "Fine, deal!"  
  
Damian took the bag off his shoulders and laid it on the couch, "Put your arms into the straps." Michael did as instructed. "Now try and get up." Michael tried his hardest but the heavy medical textbooks had quickly sealed his defeat. Michael continued to struggle, much to Damian's amusement. He cared about Michael a lot. Michael finally gave up. Damian smirked, "See?"  
  
"It's so heavy," Michael's face was redder than his hair. He slipped the straps off his shoulders and stood up, "How do you do it?"  
  
"When you grow up you'll be able to lift it up," Damian replied, "It'll still be hard, but you'll feel better about yourself." He saw Leticia coming down from the corner of his eye, "In the meantime you have to own up to your end of the bargain." He saw Michael looking like he was about to protest, "Michael, we had a deal." Michael hung his head low and rushed up the stairs.  
  
Damian shook his head and went off towards his room when there was a knock on the door. Damian opened it and saw someone with a package, "This is for you."  
  
Damian took the package, "Thank you." He looked at the package and when he looked up the man was gone. He opened the package and saw a tape recorder labeled 'play.' Damian did as instructed.  
  
The recordings within the tape were short, but he could tell that it was his father's voice. During the recording Sonny admitted to being a part of the mob. Damian's face went white. It was beginning to make sense. The animosity that the police have for him and Jason. But Sonny had told him that they were jealous. Sonny pushed the door open as the tape ended. Damian looked over, "You lied." 


	26. Back to Start

Sarah- Please don't worry about not giving me feedback, it is important that you don't feel obligated to do so but rather feel like doing it because you have something to say. Besides, I'm aware of what a hectic time of year this can be, what with all the holidays and whatnot. Still, your praise is appreciated.  
  
Story-  
  
Father and son had their brown eyes meld with one another once more. Sonny's were full of questions, not knowing what his boy had just accused him of. Damian's were full of pain and disgust, now knowing the truth about a large part of his father's life. One that he had asked about, yet Sonny couldn't find it in him to speak the truth. Damian sneered at his father, "I cannot believe you, you lied to me!"  
  
Sonny saw the tape recorder in Damian's hand, "What is that?"  
  
"A tape recorder that tells must just the kind of person you are."  
  
Sonny put out his hand, "Let me see it."  
  
"Why? I've already played the tape. You can't back up and erase this from my memory, Sonny!"  
  
"Just let me see the tape recorder!" Sonny demanded.  
  
"Fine." Damian handed the device to Sonny, "Play it if you need to know why I think you're nothing more than a lying criminal!"  
  
"Where'd you get this?" There was no need to play the tape back. Damian knew now.  
  
"It was delivered to me."  
  
"By whom?"  
  
"Don't try and change the subject, Sonny!" Damian yelled, "It doesn't matter who delivered it, he looked like some delivery guy. What matters is what was inside that tape. You're a mobster. You order people to their deaths without remorse."  
  
"I'm not doing that anymore!" Sonny defended himself.  
  
"Save it!" Damian snapped back, "You don't have any credibility with me anymore. I asked you why they hated you so much. Why the police have a mad- on for making sure that you go to jail for a long time. What did you tell me? Some half-truth about them being jealous because you're successful and they're not. Yeah, I'm sure that it's true, but at least they earn their money legally."  
  
"What did you expect me to do?" Sonny asked, "Tell you, my son who I've just barely begun to know, that I'm a high powered criminal overlord? What would have been easier for you to accept, Damian? The semi-truth that I gave you or the full truth about my past? I didn't want to make you leave."  
  
"I wouldn't have, Sonny," Damian answered, "I can take a lot of things in life. But I cannot take my father lying to me about something like that. I was honest with you, why couldn't you extend the same gesture to me? You say that you didn't want to make me leave with the truth, but now I have to leave because of your lie."  
  
"You're not leaving!" Sonny stated.  
  
"I can't stay here anymore. Maybe living under this cloud of false security might work for you and Carly, and I certainly hope it works for Michael and Morgan, but I am not that type of person. I can't sit around and pretend that everything is fine and dandy when there's something that big looming over me. I'm going back to the apartment." He was already at the doorway to his room when he looked back, "Don't try and stop me."  
  
He rushed into the room and opened the dresser, piling his clothes into his bag. He'd find some way to get everything in one trip, he certainly didn't want to come back. Weighted down with all of his belongings he walked back into the living room and pushed past his father. Sonny made no intention of stopping him. Damian opened the door, "I really wish things could have been different. But I guess your life will always make you lie about something."  
  
The door closed and Sonny waited a few moments, listening for the elevator to open. When he heard it shut he knew that there was nothing he could do. He pounded his fist against the door hard before leaning his head on it. He had done it, he had ruined his relationship with one of his children the same way that Mike had done it with him. He had failed in one of the most important goals he had ever set in life. He felt the cold plastic of the tape recorder in his hand. His thumb went for the play button as he listened in on the information it held. The first voice he heard was Lorenzo's. He should have known that he would do something like this. Lorenzo had already attempted to steal his wife away from him and failed. Now he was after his son, and it looked like he had succeeded. Sonny walked over to the counter and pulled out the dresser that held the gun, the same one that shot Carly. The one he swore he would never use again. Alcazar had already caused so much pain in his life, and it didn't look like he was going to be stopping anytime soon. Not unless someone forced him to stop. Permanently.  
  
Courtney walked in and saw her brother staring at the gun. "Sonny, my God, what are you doing?"  
  
Sonny's hand went for the gun, "I'm going to do something I should have done a long time ago. I'm going to make sure that Alcazar can't hurt my family or anyone else ever again."  
  
Courtney grabbed his wrist, "Sonny, no! You won, Carly still loves you and she doesn't care about him. If you murder this man we both know that the PCPD are going to be all over you. What if you go to jail? What if you never get out and Morgan grows up without his father?"  
  
"Damian turned out fine without me," Sonny pointed out, "Maybe it'd be better if I just stayed out of my children's lives. I only seem to hurt them."  
  
Courtney was in shock, "What makes you say that?"  
  
"He's gone, Courtney. Damian found out about my past and he left."  
  
"How did he find out?"  
  
"Alcazar," Sonny responded, his voice heavy with rage.  
  
"Sonny, Alcazar is a liar and a criminal."  
  
"So am I."  
  
"Stop that!" Courtney demanded, "You're not like him! You are a good person with a strong sense of morality. You love your wife and you love your sons. Alcazar doesn't know anything other than how to be a selfish stalker. Most importantly, Sonny, you're not the type of person that will throw your life away just to kill someone." She reached over and pushed in the drawer with the gun back inside, shielding it from view.  
  
Sonny let her put it away, keep it out of his sight. "I'm not the one that you need to convince. Damian is."  
  
Courtney nodded, "If that's what it takes to keep you happy I will."  
  
"Courtney, stop." Sonny shook his head, "I can't expect you to do my work for me. Besides, I don't want to push him away even further. The Quartermaine's tried to keep Jason around and look where it got them. I can't live with my son hating me even more than he does right now. Please, promise me that you won't go and talk to him."  
  
Courtney was quiet. She wanted to help mend the fence between her brother and her nephew. She'd hate for history to repeat itself like it had between him and their father. She couldn't survive that, and she knew for a fact that Sonny could not deal with being hated. It would eat him up inside, it would kill him. "I won't talk to him today, I promise."  
  
"I'd really like to be alone right now, Courtney."  
  
"Of course," She left the penthouse and walked across the hall to her home.  
  
Kelly's-  
  
Damian walked into the building and looked at the counter. Elizabeth wasn't there, he was actually glad that she wasn't. He didn't feel like talking to anyone right now. He walked up the stairs and turned to his room, putting the key in the lock. The door sprung open and Damian looked inside the room that he foolishly thought he would never have to use again. He had let his hopes get high and they had been crushed. He launched his stuff onto the bed in a huff. He was angry. Angry at himself. Angry at his father. Angry at the world. He plopped himself onto the bed face first. Sleep wouldn't help, but it was better than being awake.  
  
Hours Later, Corinthos Household-  
  
Carly returned from a day of festive shopping with bags in tow. She wanted to show Sonny the special clothes that she had gotten just for the two of them. Of course, such displays would have to wait until later that night. She could wait for it, though. It gave her something too look forward to. She saw her husband on the couch and she knew the look on his face. Sonny was brooding. "Sonny, I'm home."  
  
"You got what you wanted," Sonny muttered.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"I said you got what you wanted, Carly!" Sonny looked over at her, "Damian moved out, back to the apartments above Kelly's."  
  
"Oh, Sonny," She put her bags down and rushed over to him, "I'm so sorry."  
  
"Are you, Carly? Are you really?"  
  
She sat next to him and frowned, "What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"Exactly what it sounds like. You never liked him, you made it very obvious that you didn't want him around. Now he's gone and he might not ever come back. You won, Carly."  
  
Carly shook her head, "No, I didn't win, Sonny. I don't like Damian, I'll never deny that I do not trust him. But I told you that I wanted you to be happy, and now you're not. Sonny, seeing you hurting makes me hurt, too."  
  
"It's Alcazar's fault."  
  
"What?"  
  
"He taped a conversation that we had and delivered it here. Damian got the package and played the message. He found out who I was, Carly. He found out about the business, about what I did in the past. He found out that I lied to him when he asked me the same question after Kyle had died."  
  
"What would Lorenzo have to gain from doing that?"  
  
"Isn't it obvious?" Sonny stated, "He knows that I want to be on good terms with my son, and he knows that I'll have trouble dealing with Damian's hating me. Alcazar had everything to gain and nothing to lose from this."  
  
"We'll manage, Sonny," Carly comforted him as best as she could, "Somehow we'll manage."  
  
"I haven't even told Michael yet. He's going to be so sad."  
  
"Michael's just a little boy," Carly said, "He'll get over it somehow."  
  
"I'm not so sure about that," Sonny placed his hand over his head. He just wanted to forget everything that had happened.  
  
Damian's Apartment-  
  
The cell phone made its melodic ring. Damian opened his eyes and looked at the phone on the counter. It said 'Undisclosed Number'. He had Sonny's cell and home, so it wasn't his father trying to call and patch things up. Damian looked at the time, it was past 8. He was asleep for a good three hours. The phone continued to ring, Damian picked it up, "Hello?"  
  
"Damian, it's me, Maxie."  
  
"Hi, Maxie."  
  
"Listen," Maxie sat on her bed at home, "I took your advice and I continued to read the book, it's gotten a lot better."  
  
"I'm glad."  
  
"Damian? Is everything okay?" She could sense that there was a tinge of depression in his voice.  
  
"No, it isn't."  
  
Maxie couldn't just let him sulk alone. He had been there for her when she needed it. The least she could do was return the favor. "You want to meet somewhere? I can't tell Mac that I'm going to Sonny Corinthos's house, he wouldn't like that very much."  
  
"I'm not living there anymore, Maxie."  
  
"Oh," Maxie was beginning to piece things together, "Where are you? Do you need a place to stay?"  
  
"No, but thank you. I have an apartment at Kelly's."  
  
"I'll be right over."  
  
"Maxie," Damian started, "You don't have to come if you don't want to."  
  
"But I do want to. Don't go anywhere!" Maxie hung up the phone and put her shoes on. 


	27. Emotions Run Wild

Notes- Entirely random and not involved with the show in any way, but I downloaded a Korean-pop video last night and it makes me very happy, now I have at least one video to watch while I'm stuck in this hellhole I call home. Yay! Sorry, still, I feel good about it.  
  
Shadow- Yeah, this is the part where things slowly begin to crumble, at least a bit. There still be plenty of planned twists and turns before everything is said and done. Of course, there are probably plenty of unplanned twists and turns that will be used. The joys of having only a small outline for the story, right?  
  
Shamira- Good to have you back, girl. Also good that you didn't catch up on all 8 chapters in one day because then I'd be commenting to your review for longer than the chapter of the story! I don't like Sage that much anymore, either. I liked her at first, and then I still liked her until she got all stupid and tried to break up the sacred GQ! Stupid whore. Still, she's actually pretty hot. My roommate and I were quick to point out to Dillon that if he was just looking for a sex partner he should pick Sage over Georgie, although Miss Jones is indeed the much better choice overall. I voted for Maxie as the best secondary character over at soapcentral, hope she wins, she deserves it. I didn't like Ric at first, but now he's growing on me, he is. Poor Dillon, Mac never gives him a break, but even with all his problems he isn't related to Sonny Corinthos. How would Mr. Scorpio take one of his darlings going out with the boy of a crime lord? Foreshadowing, ain't it great? I figured Damian would want to get some snide little remark in on Carly, hell, I'd sure do it if I were in his position. According to the profiles that I've seen, there is no 'e' at the end of Faith's last name, so I guess we've been spelling it wrong. No one shot me, so I think I survived the error without much trouble. The PCPD is indeed filled with many asses, but it wouldn't be the PCPD if it weren't corrupt, would it? Thanks for the info on Ric being a bastard baby. This I did not know.  
  
I'll skip the blabbity blabbing, but it was fun to read! I never noticed that about Faith, but I can look the next time she's on. I enjoyed the conversation that happened between the two of them, it was entertaining for me to write. I always figured that Em managed to sway Zander away from the evils of his past life, so the programming that happened to him during this process of severe whipping wouldn't be very easy to break. Or, maybe Zander's just starting to get a conscience. Which is it? Perhaps a bit of both. I also enjoyed Mac and Maxie's moment together. Perhaps it was a bit too 'Full House' for a good soap opera, but it was still important to the plot of the story, so it was put in. Besides, I didn't cue that annoying "awww" track. Let us be happy.  
  
Of course, it doesn't look like I needed to cue the "awww" track because you did it for me. I felt kind of bad that I'm not using Jason that much so I'm finding ways to incorporate him much more into this, he had a big part in the last two chapters that I wrote, which should start getting published by the end of the week. You've gotta feel for poor Damian, he really does have quite the dysfunctional family. Sure, the Q's are more than likely the ones who take the cake in that respect, but Sonny's family is just as odd. Glad my family's only about 35% as bad. Carly and Sonny appear to be in a constant struggle of power between one another. Doing what they feel is right for the other without ever talking to each other about it, and it rarely gets them anything good. But, that is the way that the relationship is and who am I to change it? Alky's a bit screwed in the head. Maybe the writers wouldn't have him think something like that, but I did. And since I'm the writer of this, well then, hah!  
  
Well, now that the reviews are taken care of, let's get on with it!  
  
Story-  
  
Morgan Household-  
  
Jason had just returned home for another day working with the position that had been left to him in the wake of Sonny's abandonment of the life that was once lead. Sonny's confidence in Jason had always been something that inspired him to do the best that he could. Sonny was one of the few people that let Jason be the person he wanted to be. Instead of using the tactics like his birth family and trying to force him to become the person that they remembered, the boy that they all loved dearly, Sonny gave Jason a chance when no one else would. Sonny let Jason choose between Jason Quartermaine and Jason Morgan. If they had given him the same option things might have been different. But that was all in the past. He had seen Sonny get through the best and the worst of times. Seen the almost always cool and calculating Corinthos express rare moments of vulnerability, where all the shielding in the world couldn't help him get over his grief. It cost Sonny a lot to give up the life, but living it almost cost him the one thing that he valued the most: Carly. It was better for all of them that Jason be in charge of the empire. He knew what to do and he knew how to do it. Yet even with this job that he always wanted there were still things that did not sit well with Jason Morgan. His wife would always be against the way he lived. She wanted to keep him and everyone else that she cared about safe. She knew that the safety wouldn't come from always wondering if Jason's body would be pulled out of the harbor, ridden with bullets. She loved Jason, she would always love Jason, but even with all that love in her heart it wouldn't let her ignore the fact that she did not feel safe. She had a breaking point, everyone did. He only hoped that she wouldn't pass that point anytime soon. He did not want to hurt her. She was laying on the couch, staring at the ceiling but really looking at the vast nothingness, her mind in deep contemplation. "Courtney?" He called out softly, trying to break her from her trance. She did nothing, not even a blink. He took a few slow steps towards her. "Courtney," He called out again, this time somewhat more forceful but still with that soft toned voice that was a polar opposite of the life he led. When she did not heed his call once more he began to worry. He checked her chest to see if she was still breathing. A sigh of relief emitted from his lips as he saw her chest heave. He gently grabbed her thigh and tried to get her attention once more, "Courtney."  
  
Finally she looked at him, blinking rapidly as she came out of her zone. She sat up and scooted her knees closer to her chest. The warm smile that would always melt Jason's at times emotionless heart beamed once more. "Hi," She leaned in and gently kissed his lips.  
  
"You scared me," Jason stated softly.  
  
"I'm sorry, Jason." She looked up again, "I was just thinking about something."  
  
"You want to talk about it?" She shook her head. Jason was wondering why she would keep something that was obviously heavy on her mind from him. "Courtney, we pledged to be honest with one another no matter what on our wedding day. Don't break those vows."  
  
"I just don't want us to fight about this."  
  
"Why would we fight?"  
  
"Because we're probably on different sides of the argument."  
  
"We have different favorite colors, different favorite foods. No one can ever see eye to eye on everything, Courtney."  
  
"I wish it was something as trivial as that," She replied with a tinge of sorrow in her voice.  
  
"I'll never know how to deal with the problem on your mind unless you let me know what it is." Jason sat next to her, "Please."  
  
She looked into his eyes, she couldn't lie to them. She couldn't lie to him. "Damian found out about Sonny's life today." She looked at him, he didn't seem at all alarmed, "He left the penthouse and moved back into the apartment above Kelly's."  
  
"Carly must be happy," Jason stated.  
  
Courtney got up, "I'm sure she is, but Sonny's miserable. Alcazar had something to do with it all. They met earlier today and Alcazar taped it. Someone gave the tape to Damian and he played it. It doesn't go into detail about Sonny's life but it does answer some of the questions he had asked Sonny a few days ago."  
  
"He had to find out sometime," Jason said. "Michael and Morgan will, too."  
  
"And the person to tell them about it should be Sonny himself," Courtney quickly countered, "Not some lifeless recording."  
  
"Sonny makes his own choices."  
  
"And sometimes those choices cost him a lot. This one obviously did."  
  
"You just wanted him to leave us all alone when he first came here, remember?"  
  
Courtney looked over her shoulder at him, "I just wanted you to leave me alone for the first few months that we knew each other, remember? I made a mistake judging you back then, and I think I made one with Damian. He's not looking to hurt anyone. He just wants to find his place in a family that he never had a chance to grow up around. Switch the situations around and he reminds me of someone that I care about deeply."  
  
"This is nothing like my life with the Quartermaines after the accident," Jason's voice was much more volatile. He didn't enjoy talking about that part of his life, not that he could remember it.  
  
"You were the insider looking out and he's the outsider looking in, Jason. I wish you could see that."  
  
"But I can't."  
  
"I know you can't." She muttered, "Which is why I didn't want to tell you anything about how I felt with this situation."  
  
He wrapped his strong arms around her, "I can't right now, and maybe I never will. But if you feel so strongly about him then maybe I'll have to take another look at him through my own eyes and give him the chance that you think he deserves."  
  
"You might not ever get it."  
  
"That's not for any of us to decide. That is between father and son."  
  
Courtney started to tear up, thinking of the pain that she knew Sonny felt and what Damian may have been going through. She wished she could help, but she promised Sonny she wouldn't interfere. At least not yet.  
  
Across the hall-  
  
Carly looked at Sonny sitting there on the other side of the couch. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know that he was thinking about his boy. She had won the battle that she had privately waged against him. It was her against him and she had a whole lot of tenure that she could use. There was no guarantee that he would never come back. Maybe the war wasn't over  
  
The ever rambunctious Michael dashed down the stairs, "Mommy!"  
  
She felt him crash into her arms and laughed, "Where were you?"  
  
"Taking a bath," Michael answered her.  
  
Carly made a sarcastic sound, "How much damage do we have to fix this time?"  
  
"I didn't fight," He said, "I promised Damian I wouldn't. Is he in his room? I want to tell him!"  
  
Carly lowered her eyes. She had taken into account the crushing blow that this would take on her darling child. Yet she thought she could handle it. Seeing Michael's eyes filled with such joy at that second only made her dread how they would shift when he did find out what happened. "Honey, we need to tell you something."  
  
"Can't it wait?" He asked. He glanced at his father, "Daddy?" It was then that he noticed the spirit of discomfort that Sonny was emitting. His mood dropped considerably, "What's going on?"  
  
"You see, Michael," Carly started, sugar coating the news as best she could in her head and praying to every possible deity that she remembered hoping it would work, "Damian is-"  
  
"Gone," Sonny finished for her.  
  
"Did he go out and do something?" Michael asked, "He's coming back, right? This is his home, we're his family!"  
  
Sonny grabbed Michael and sat him on his lap, "Buddy, Damian decided that he couldn't live with us anymore. He went back to Kelly's."  
  
"I can go change his mind!" Michael proclaimed, "I know I can!"  
  
Carly grabbed his knee, "Honey, it's for the best."  
  
He pulled away from her, "You did something to make this happen, didn't you?"  
  
Carly was shocked, "Michael!"  
  
"I know how much you didn't like him!" Michael shouted. "You never gave him a chance from the moment he came here! You were always pushing him away when all he wanted was to know daddy! This is your fault!" Michael started to run away.  
  
Carly grabbed him, "Michael, wait a second!"  
  
He pulled himself away from her with all his might, "Leave me alone!" His feet could be heard stamping up the stairs as he slammed the door to his room as hard as he possibly could.  
  
Carly covered her mouth and began to shake. Her child had never truly acted like that with her before. The only thing that needed to be said was that he hated her. He never said it, but his eyes showed that it was true. "I can't believe it."  
  
"Did you have something to do with this?" Sonny asked.  
  
"I wanted to keep my son from feeling the hurt that I already knew he was going to feel when he heard what happened to Damian," Carly said, "But you had to go and tell him like you didn't even care about his feelings! Sonny, how could you do that?"  
  
"You were going to deny him a part of the truth."  
  
"I was going to protect him from knowing everything!"  
  
"I did that with Damian!" Sonny shouted, "And now look where it got me? I thought I could save us all some grief by not telling Damian the truth about my past. I should have known that he'd find out somehow and now that he has I lost something that I valued. I won't make the same mistake with Michael or Morgan!"  
  
"He's just a little boy!"  
  
"He deserves to know the truth no matter what age he is!" Sonny walked over to the coat hanger and got his thick jacket, draping it over his shoulder.  
  
"Where are you going?" Carly demanded to know.  
  
"I need some air," Sonny answered her, "Don't wait up."  
  
Carly saw the door rattle with the force that Sonny had used to slam it. She collapsed on the sofa, her emotions getting the best of her. Her child and her husband had become repulsed at the very sight of her. All because of that boy.  
  
Upstairs, Kelly's-  
  
Maxie had gotten lucky, the diner was still open and she could get inside and upstairs without knocking on the door. She rushed up and saw that all of the doors were closed. "Damian?" She called out, walking down the halls looking at the numbered doors. "Damian?" She heard the knob of one door turn slowly and unhinge. Damian poked his head out. Maxie smiled, "Hi."  
  
"What are you doing here?" He asked.  
  
"You sounded really hurt and I thought you could use a friend right now. Can I come in?"  
  
"I'd rather like to be alone right now, Maxie," Damian commented.  
  
She shook her head, "I'm not letting you be all by yourself. When I called you sounded like you were in so much pain. You're my friend and I won't let you be alone in a time like this." Damian succumbed to her and held the door open. She walked in and looked around, "I always thought I would be living in one of this apartments someday."  
  
"And I foolishly thought that I would never have to see it again," Damian countered.  
  
Maxie turned around, "What happened?"  
  
"Can I ask you a question?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
Damian sat on the edge of his bed and looked at her, "What do you know about my father? You've lived in Port Charles for a long time, your father is the Police Commissioner, surely you know something."  
  
"Well," She didn't want to tell him anything about what she knew.  
  
"Maxie, don't hide anything from me, please." He wasn't going to get the answer out of her with the path he was taking. Another method needed to be used, "He's a mobster, isn't he?" She turned away, giving him the only answer that he needed, "Why can't you just tell me?"  
  
"It isn't my place to tell you something like that."  
  
"Maxie, my father lied to me about who he was. I asked him to be straightforward with me and he wasn't," Damian stood up, "I really felt that Sonny and I were beginning to get closer. Maybe even to a level where I wouldn't think of him as Sonny Corinthos first, where I'd think of him as my dad. How could I have been so stupid?"  
  
Maxie grabbed his hands, "You're not stupid. You're one of the nicest people I've ever met, and I barely know you. You truly believed that you could start something with Sonny that could make you both happy. You wanted that very much."  
  
"Now everything is ruined," Damian commented on the verge of tears. "Everything."  
  
Maxie saw him in a state of sheer depression. She leaned forward and pressed her lips softly on his. He pushed her away instantly. She was surprised, "I'm so sorry."  
  
"That shouldn't have happened," He said.  
  
She agreed, "No, it shouldn't have." She went for the door, "I should go."  
  
"Maxie, I'm sorry."  
  
"It wasn't your fault, Damian, it was mine. If you need a friend you have my number." She closed the door and leaned against it. Damian did the same on the other end. What just happened? 


	28. Conversations with the 'Divine'

Note: The topic that is discussed in this chapter is in no way meant to disparage other people with a stronger and or different faith. It was not meant to offend anyone, so please do not take offense.  
  
Shadow- No, it's okay to be pissed at Carly, she's earned it. I believe that Damian's problem is something that almost anyone can relate to, which is why it's so poignant. You need not worry about 'long reviews', the more feedback the get the better. If you feel the need to, please write as much as you would like.  
  
Sarah- Journey forever! Death to Brian (no, really, please, kill him) and all that jazz. Thanks for the review.  
  
Shamira- I always thought it was spelt Kwanzaa, but I could be wrong. Kyle's death was pretty much planned a long time ago, had to get rid of him and since I loathe him so much death was the best way. Don't feel bad about not feeling anything but glee for his death, if I knew someone like Kyle in real life, actually, I did, and that person died, I certainly wouldn't feel bad for that jackass. For the record, Damian isn't a teenager. Sorry, pet peeve. I just had bad teenage years so I try and keep them away from my characters when at all possible. Damian might stay away from Alky, perhaps not.  
  
Actually, my cousin has an uncle who is I think two years younger than her. Sometimes, provided the kiddies are naughty, these things can happen. For some people death is hard to cope with, I always thought Maxie was one of them, she seemed quite sensitive, not that there is anything wrong with being sensitive. Bobbie's like a den mother, helping out wherever she can, and you're right, she would have problems with things that Carly does, but as long as she's happy Bobbie likely wouldn't complain. Courtney's my favorite girl character, too. But for different reasons (soooooo pretty she be), still my love for Courtney is great as a character and a sexkitten. I wanted Damian to have a friend in that kooky family he's found himself in, and Courtney seemed the most logical, especially once she saw how vulnerable he could be. She always struck me as the type that would help someone that she hated if she felt that they needed it.  
  
I write ahead because I have no life, and I'm quite proud of that fact. Still, writing at my parent's is harder than writing at school because there's always people here! I like shopping, I just didn't like shopping on that particular day. I think that would be incest, so let's not bother with it. Nasty, icky. Plus, Jason would likely kill him. I don't know if it's weird, my cousins and I have that relationship with our aunt. We trust her a lot more than we trust our parents. And we're not nearly the same age. I don't have any plans of killing off Mac, the writers of the show seem to do that enough by never having him on the damned television! If you want to, then by all means please do it. Dillon acting like Dillon was intended. At times I think he does need to cut that hair, but only when it's sticking up like a damned flattop.  
  
Poor Elizabeth, blinded by the love. But most people tend to have that happen at least once. Ric's just a fun person to have the other characters hate. I found myself realizing that I had put everyone aside from Mike into the story, so I had to change that. Courtney making the call made sense, since she still has a much closer relationship to Mike than Sonny does. You're right, father's will be father's. My dad would never say anything like that, I don't think. Again I must point out that I love writing Faith. She be evil, so very evil. I'm glad that you could feel my dialog in your head, it's very flattering. Zander's soul is not all corrupted, which is indeed a good thing.  
  
Story-  
  
Queen of Angels Church, Port Charles-  
  
It was Friday. His schedule permitted him the chance to not have to worry about school for the time being. There were many things that were pressing on his mind, causing him to slowly wallow in his own self pity. He had pushed Maxie away from him when she was trying to comfort him in his time of need. He appreciated the gesture, but it just did not feel right. It was more than likely a kiss of sympathy, what she felt that he needed at that time. He always wondered what his first kiss would feel like. He should have known that it would have been something that he wouldn't recall with fondness. His life was like that. It was sad, in all his years he had never had a girlfriend, never been in love. He longed for a meaningful relationship, but it was difficult back home, always being the outcast even before his mother died. After that he became even more introverted than before, and would rarely spend any time with anyone, even those that he cared for. Any chances that he had at beginning a relationship were dashed by his own actions. Yet he wouldn't change them, not even if he was given the chance. Coping with her passing was a cornerstone of his evolution from innocent child into a young man who knew that bad things happened, even when they wasn't very much reason. He wasn't repulsed at the kiss. How could he be? Maxie was a kind and beautiful woman who he had already begun developing a fondness towards. It was the context that displeased him. He wanted to let her know that, but he was a bit busy at that very moment.  
  
The doors opened into the church, the house of a failed God. There was no one inside, and for that he was thankful. This was a private conversation. He walked to the statue of Jesus on the cross. It showed the sacrifice that was made by someone so that all of humanity could benefit. "You know, it's funny. I spent years coming here, listening to everything that you said I should do and trying to follow it all to the letter. I was supposed to be rewarded for not being a sinner. Remember that? I believed all those empty promises that were written in some language by people whose names I can't even recall. Guess they weren't all that important, were they? They were just lambs to do your bidding. Following what they thought was your word blindly, seeking something that they desired and getting nothing back. Just like my mother. What happened to salvation? I certainly don't see it. All I see is a lot of people going through pain and hoping that somehow you'll fix everything. Do they get what they want? No, they don't. So that leaves us with a couple questions, doesn't it? Why am I here even attempting to speak with something that I don't believe in anymore? Why do I always come to a church when I need some time alone, someplace that will comfort me? Maybe its one last ditch effort by the remaining part of my soul that still wants to follow something blindly. Or I could just be looking for a place to vent. The cynic that I've become because of what happened is much more privy to believing that. Still, I'm a generous person, so I'm giving this one last chance. I think this is the part where I ask for a sign. So, you know, work your divine magic or whatever." There was nothing. Not even a slight shift in the wind. Damian sneered, "Thanks for letting me down one last time. Remind me to have an outdoor wedding if I should ever find someone, would you?" He turned his head and saw a piano in the corner. It was nicely polished so that it shined in the sunlight that rained down past the tainted glass window. Damian stood there, looking at it. He took a step towards it, followed by another. He was standing over the keys, his hands placed uncomfortably on them. He pressed down his index finger and the tune of the piano rang through the church. He sat down and adjusted his fingers to the all too familiar but still slightly foreign positions that they were supposed to be in. "I'm still not a believer, you know. This could all just be some coincidence, churches have pianos, after all." He started to play something, one of the first songs that he had ever learned when he was beginning to understand how the device worked. His recollection of the tune was flawless, each keystroke without error. But he stopped all of a sudden, "Fine, you've given me a reason to doubt myself and give you credit. In this possible moment of sheer ignorance on my part-" He smiled, "You always wanted me to play this song on your birthday, mom. It might not be that day, but I'd figure if there was any time that you ever wanted to pay attention to me it would be my own birthday. This is for you." He began to play 'We Belong Together'. Ana-Maria had a fondness for older songs. Perhaps she was listening. Was it too much to ask? Maybe it was. 


	29. Believe

Notes: Happy New Year, all! Let us hope that this year brings us happiness that has been devoid in general life for quite some time. Onto other things: I might not post this Sunday, or next Sunday, because one of those Sunday's involves me going to L.A for the day. Family and whatnot. Actually, it might require me not posting for two days, and there really isn't anything I can do about it. Having seen yesterday's episode, I am now very curious as to what Dillon's middle name is. Anyone know? And poor Mac, finally getting some screen time after who knows how many weeks, and it's in a silent part. Although, to be fair, everyone's parts were silent with the exception of the Q's, Sage, and Georgie. I liked the episode, some people didn't, but I found it amusing. Snidely Eyelash, tee hee.  
  
Story-  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
Michael had barricaded himself inside his room and wouldn't come out for anyone. Not even Courtney or Jason. Luckily for Carly her son's door did not have a lock. She was willing to wait him out, but this was getting to be too much on her. She couldn't take being rejected by her own child in the manner that he had given her the night prior. There would be a time when he would grow up and stop depending on his mother for everything, but he would always love her. Right now she wasn't entirely sure that he was feeling anything but extreme hatred towards her. She wasn't going to let it stick. She was going to fix the problem. "Sweetie?" She poked her head in and saw him lying on his bed, arms crossed, the shine of dried up tears on his freckled face. "Michael, talk to me, please."  
  
Michael rolled away from her, "Leave me alone."  
  
"Michael Corinthos!" Carly was stern, but not yelling, "I am your mother and I deserve to be treated with more respect than this!"  
  
"I said leave me alone!" Michael yelled before crying again, "I'm mad at you."  
  
"I didn't have anything to do with what happened, Michael." Carly stated as she walked into his room, ignoring his tantrum. He was at times more mature than most adults many times his age, but it could never be ignored that Michael was just a little boy in reality. "Please, I want you to believe me."  
  
"I can't, Mommy," He admitted, "I can't believe you didn't have anything to do with it because it would be a lie. You're one of the reasons that he left and I know it. You were never nice to him. You never gave him a chance to be part of our family. He knew it all along."  
  
"I didn't want him to hurt you or anyone else, honey," She tried to grab his hand, he flinched and backed away. It hurt Carly a lot more than she let on. "I was right, too. I knew he'd so something to hurt you. You're miserable right now because of him."  
  
"Because of you."  
  
She shook her head, "He made the decision to leave."  
  
"You didn't try and stop him."  
  
"I wasn't even here when it happened, Michael."  
  
He finally looked at her, "If you were, would you have?"  
  
She was going to lie, but then she remembered what Sonny told her. Lying was something that only caused pain for everyone else around her. She wouldn't do that anymore, especially to her own child. "No, Michael, I wouldn't have."  
  
"I knew it," He proclaimed sadly. "You hate him."  
  
"I hate him for doing this to you and your father. I hate him for coming into our lives and making promises that he obviously had no intention of keeping. I'm sorry, Michael, but that's the way I feel."  
  
"He didn't break any promises he made to me," Michael said, "He told me that he might not always be here with all of us, but he'd always be there for me."  
  
"Michael, you can't believe that."  
  
"Yes I can!" Michael shouted, "He wouldn't lie to me. He likes me, he told me so. He'd be there for me if I needed it. Watch."  
  
"Honey, please."  
  
"You know what? When you were kidnapped by Ric and held in that little room at his house, I knew you were there. Everyone was trying to tell me that I was wrong, even Daddy. Only Uncle Jason really believed me. I didn't stop believing that it was Ric who did that to you. This is like that. You can try and get me to stop believing that Damian will be there for me if I need it, but you won't make me stop."  
  
Downstairs-  
  
Jason walked into the house and saw Sonny staring out the window. Much like Courtney before him, Jason worried for Sonny's state of well being. He had lost something precious to him. Sonny was a man of passion, but he was also a man of irrational behavior given the right situation. This would certainly qualify for one of those. Sonny heard the door open and turned towards Jason. Jason acknowledged Sonny, "You wanted to see me?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Jason waited a second, "This would work a lot better for both of us if you told me what it was that you wanted me to do. I'm not a mind reader, Sonny."  
  
Sonny shook the cobwebs out of his mind, "Sorry, I'm preoccupied at the moment."  
  
"I know," Jason replied, "Courtney told me about Damian."  
  
"That's not important right now."  
  
"We both know that you don't believe that," Jason remarked. "I can see it in your eyes, Sonny. It's eating at your soul."  
  
"I wouldn't be surprised if he thought I didn't have one," Sonny retorted. "After all, he's the son of a powerful crime lord who deals in illegal activities and orders people to their deaths."  
  
"There is so much more to you and you know that."  
  
Sonny nodded, "Yeah, Jason. I know that there is more to me than my past, than the business, but he doesn't. And he's not going to give me the chance to show him how much more there is to me. I can't be mad at him, though. This wasn't his fault, I'm the one that lied to him, kept this hidden. I'm the one that ruined everything." He stopped himself, "I didn't ask you here to listen to me lament."  
  
"But I would have come if you needed me to listen," Jason said.  
  
"Thanks," He fidgeted with his wedding band. Maybe Michael was right, maybe Carly had cost him something that was beginning to be a dear possession. He shelved that mental argument for another time. "I need you to check up on the widow."  
  
"You think she has something planned?" Jason asked.  
  
"She's been quiet for too long," Sonny said, "And when people are quiet for that long it's usually because they've got something big planned."  
  
"Are you sure about this, Sonny?" Jason wondered, "Maybe you're just trying to lash out at your enemies because of your personal pain."  
  
"That'd be very irrational on my part."  
  
"So was going to kill Alcazar in a public place, but you tried to do that." Jason rebounded for himself, "I don't want you to think that I'm doubting you Sonny. I just want you to tell me that you really feel that I should look in on Faith. All I need is that one word that you feel that it is something that needs to be done."  
  
"Better safe than sorry, Jason."  
  
"You want me to drag the kid back here from Kelly's?"  
  
Sonny shook his head, "No force will be used against my son. He's a grown man and he can make his own choices."  
  
"I'll check the Cellar first," Jason said as he turned to leave, "If she isn't there I'll have to get creative."  
  
"You know what needs to be done, Jason."  
  
Kelly's-  
  
Damian walked inside from his time at the church. It was odd playing the piano again after so long, but it gave him a sense of comfort like it did when he was growing up, constantly alone. He still remembered how to play, despite years of non-practice. It showed how important the instrument was once to him. Maybe he should have kept playing, but just for a release from the pressures that surrounded him. He couldn't change the past, nor would he want to. It was a question that, like many in his life, would remain unanswered.  
  
Elizabeth saw the familiar face walk into the diner. She waved at him as she handed some menus to a group of patrons. She noticed that he didn't really acknowledge her, it was very unlike him. She took the drink orders and walked over to him, "Hey, why so glum?"  
  
"Just thinking about stuff," Damian said.  
  
"Go sit on one of the stools, I'll just be a second."  
  
Damian did as ordered and walked over to the counter, hanging his head low as he waited for Elizabeth to give him a much needed pep talk. It was nice to know that someone in this town didn't hate him or have misconceptions of who he was. It was like he was automatically tagged with the mantra that Sonny had acquired through the years simply because he was Sonny's son. It didn't surprise him as much as it had when he first got to Port Charles. Had the situation been reversed he would have felt the same way. Still, there was that feeling of resentment. Elizabeth walked over and leaned against the counter. He looked at her and gave an uneasy smile, "I'm cursed, you know that?"  
  
"What makes you say that?"  
  
"I haven't had a good birthday in eight years."  
  
"It's your birthday?" She said with excitement.  
  
"Sadly, yes it is."  
  
"You're twenty-one, aren't you?" He nodded. She smiled some more, "You know what you have to do tonight, don't you?"  
  
"You're not suggesting that I drink alcohol, are you?"  
  
"You afraid that Sonny and Carly might get mad? You shouldn't, you're an adult now."  
  
He looked at her with his pained eyes, "I'm not living with them anymore, Elizabeth. I moved out yesterday afternoon."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I found out," He said before adding, "About my father. About what he does with his life."  
  
"It pushed you away that fast?" Elizabeth asked.  
  
"I can't stand there and smile while Sonny plots whatever it is that he does in his life. I've wanted to pledge myself to protecting the sanctity of life in this world, he looks only to destroy it."  
  
She nodded, "I know how you feel, Damian. Jason and I went through that same problem, and I ultimately left him because of it. But I still loved him, and a part of me still does. I've seen Jason at his worst, I've seen him when he's consumed by everything that was going on in that life of his. But I also saw him at his best, I saw him being a compassionate and kind person to me when I needed it. He's not a bad person, he just does things that we might conceive as bad."  
  
"You think Sonny is like that?"  
  
"Jason idolizes Sonny. He did when I was with him at least. I think he learned how to be the person he is now from Sonny. That includes both the good and the bad. I know that Sonny cares about his family more than anything in the world. Well, everyone except Ric. I've seen him go to the ends of the planet looking for Carly when she was in trouble. It's hard to say that someone who could love someone like that could be a bad person. I'm not saying it's impossible, but you know."  
  
"I wish I could forgive him so easily, but I can't."  
  
"No one is expecting you to," Elizabeth said, comforting him.  
  
Damian got up and started to walk upstairs, "Thanks, you helped me a lot."  
  
"Just repaying a favor. Think about what I told you. This is your birthday, Damian, you should celebrate." She watched as he walked out of sight, "You really look like you could use it." 


	30. The Cellar

No New Reviews-  
  
Story-  
  
General Hospital Nurses Station-  
  
Maxie stood at the station, watching as the various doctors walked past her during the day. Both Doctor Quartermaine's, Doctor Hardy, her Uncle Tony, Doctor Lewis, and many of the others. She wondered if there would eventually be a Doctor Corinthos walking down those halls, saving lives whenever possible. She didn't mean to offend him the night before. If she had known that he didn't want to be kissed she would not have stepped over his boundaries. But she was unaware of the fact that he would find extreme discomfort in her embrace. It had dawned on her before that she found him rather attractive. Her knight in shining armor as the cliché went. There for her at her bleakest time, not expecting anything in return and just being supportive. The night before the roles had been reversed. Instead it was he that needed the support of someone else, and she could only return the favor by allowing that person to be her. Seeing him the way he was, looking like some fragile piece of glass that could break at any second, it showed her more to him than she had seen before. Her perception of Damian was rather skewered, she'd be the first to admit it. Yet from the moment they met she knew that he was something different than the type of person than the other men in her life. He wasn't manipulative like Kyle, he wasn't the 'we can only be friends' person that Lucky was. She knew now that the relationship with Lucky would have never worked even if it had started moving beyond more than a childhood crush. Still, she was thankful that she had the experience that it had given her. Damian was a different person all his own. He was always kind, defensive when he needed to be and very vulnerable at all times. She certainly hoped that she didn't ruin anything that they had with the mistakes made on her part last night. He needed all the friends that he could get at this point in his life, and she needed to know that he didn't hate her.  
  
Georgie bumped into her daydreaming sister on purpose. She wanted to know what was on Maxie's mind. She heard Maxie come in shortly after leaving unexpectedly yesterday evening, but she didn't pry then. She was going to pry now, however. "What are you thinking about?"  
  
"It's nothing," Maxie said, hoping that it would be brushed off.  
  
It wouldn't be, "You're not getting off that easily, Maxie!" Georgie grabbed her arm, "I just worry about you a lot more now that Kyle's dead. You're coping it with it really well, and I'm very proud of you. But no one can get over something like that so quickly. You know that you can talk to me about it any time, even if I'm studying."  
  
"Georgie Jones giving up her precious study time for little old me?" Maxie was in mock shock, "Are you feeling ill? Is the apocalypse coming?"  
  
Georgie gave her a playful slap on the shoulder, "You mean more to me than grades ever could, Maxie. We both know that."  
  
"And you mean so much more to me that I can't burden you with my problems and keep you from having a good future. You're going to be successful, Georgie. You're the smartest person I know and you won't allow yourself to be anything but the best. I wish I had a possible future like that."  
  
"You do," Georgie said confidently, "You picked your grades up so much during the last few years of high school. It might not have been enough to help you get into any of the colleges around here but it showed that you could put the effort and do really well in classes. If you can keep it up at the Junior College here in Port Charles it will look really good and you can get into excellent schools and do whatever you want! You can do it, Maxie, I have faith in you."  
  
Maxie smiled, "Thanks, that helps me out a lot. I only wish that I didn't need my little sister being my mother. You shouldn't be the one telling me these things, Felicia should."  
  
"I know," Georgie said softly, "But we can't do anything about that. She's taking care of her grandmother, we know how important she is to our mother."  
  
"More important than coming to my graduation," Maxie commented in spite.  
  
"She wanted to," Georgie defended her mother. With all of her flaws Felicia was still the person that gave them life, she wouldn't turn against her mother so easily. Maxie was a different story entirely. She was still a young girl, but old enough to remember the pain of having Felicia constantly away from her. Going to sleep without her mother kissing her goodnight and tucking her in. She had grown accustomed to it from Frisco, he was almost never there. It took her nearly dying in order to make him come back to see her and once he knew that she was going to be okay it didn't take him very long to split again. Besides, she had Mac there for her, and he was a better father than Frisco could ever hope to be. Still, there were expectations that children have when concerning their mothers. One of them was not constantly abandoning the children that they spawned. Felicia seemed unable to grasp that concept. Maxie resented her for that, she would probably resent her forever. Perhaps that was something that allowed she and Damian to connect in the way that they did. Both had felt the bitter sting of their mothers not being with them anymore. While Damian's was much more permanent, the feelings were the same regardless.  
  
"How could I have been so stupid?" Maxie asked herself.  
  
"About believing in our mother?" Georgie wondered.  
  
"Not really that, but I do wonder about that as well. I screwed something up big time last night, Georgie."  
  
"What did you do?"  
  
"I overstepped my bounds with someone that I wanted to become closer with, and I might have pushed him away."  
  
"Was it that Damian guy?" Georgie would forever be grateful to Damian for helping her sister from being hurt, but she still knew very little about the boy. She was overprotective with Maxie, especially now. In fact, she was likely more cautious around anyone that tried to romance her sister than Mac could ever possibly be. Kyle had nearly destroyed Maxie both emotionally and physically. Even Mac didn't know the true extents of the confidence blows that Kyle's constant insults towards Maxie did to her self- esteem. She lost any and all self respect that she once had for herself and would do anything to appease Kyle and the other people that she thought were her friends. She seemed lost to Georgie at times. They had always been so close and able to connect when it came to just about anything. For that brief period of time Georgie had to work her hardest to break through the brick wall that Maxie had surrounded herself with. If she hadn't then there was the chance that Kyle wouldn't have been the only one carried out of the hospital that day.  
  
Maxie nodded, "Yeah, it was him."  
  
"What did you do?"  
  
"I called him to ask him about a book that I was reading and I could tell that there was something wrong with him. I rushed over to his apartment. He had moved out of Sonny's penthouse only a few hours before. He knows, Georgie. He knows who Sonny Corinthos really is."  
  
Georgie lowered her head a bit, feeling sympathetic, "He had to find out sometime. Sonny is a dangerous person and being blind to his life only heightens the chances that someone could get hurt. We should be happy that Sonny told him."  
  
"Sonny didn't tell him," Maxie corrected her sister, "He found out another way and that's what crushed him. I saw him hurt for the first time. I saw someone that I thought couldn't be bothered by anything looking like he was going to break down. I kissed him. It all happened so fast and then he pushed me away."  
  
"He pushed you away?" Georgie's mind went into overdrive. Why would anyone push her sister away after a kiss? "Maybe he's gay."  
  
Maxie laughed a bit, "I don't think he is."  
  
"You don't know anything about him."  
  
"Neither do you."  
  
"Yeah," Georgie began, "But I know that there aren't many straight boys in the world that would push away after being kissed by someone who looked like you. That, Maxie, is the sign of a gay person."  
  
"I know for a fact that he isn't gay. He would have told me that."  
  
Georgie cocked an eyebrow, "How can you be so sure?"  
  
"Because I just know!" Maxie proclaimed, "As smart as you are you should know that there are things that you can't explain but still know in your heart. Remember when you couldn't answer why you loved Dillon? That didn't mean that you didn't love him just because you couldn't say why you felt that way, did it?"  
  
"This isn't like that."  
  
"To me it is," Maxie snapped back.  
  
"You're saying that you're in love with this guy?"  
  
"No," Maxie commented, "I'm not in love with him. I like him, I want to know more about him and spend more time with him. I've learned a lot since my time with Kyle. I know that one kiss doesn't mean you're in love with someone."  
  
"Dillon said that he fell in love with me the first time I kissed him."  
  
"The two of you didn't even know each other when that happened!"  
  
"It was fated!" Georgie shot back sarcastically.  
  
"You just want a good story to tell your children and grandchildren," Maxie covered her mouth as she laughed. "I don't love him, but I can't say I don't care about him. And I know that kissing him last night hurt him."  
  
"I still say he's gay."  
  
Maxie looked at Georgie out of the corner of her eye as she grabbed some files, "You just don't want me to be happy with a man and be one of those people who lives in a house with a bunch of cats running around."  
  
"You like cats."  
  
The Cellar-  
  
For a Friday night at one of Port Charles's more renowned drinking establishments the Cellar was rather dead. Not dead in the way that it's owner, Faith Rosco, liked it. This type of dead cost her money, and she hated it when anything cost her money. Unless it was a nice black dress or some other materialistic item that would make her look all the more stunning and deadly. She was bored, and that always made her even more agitated. She heard someone walking down the stairs to her establishment and watched with her unusual glee. A fresh faced young man came down. She sighed, not wanting to play games with the kiddies on this night. "Look, junior, no matter how much money you offer us we're not going to let you get smashed here."  
  
Damian looked over at the woman in all black, "I'm old enough to drink, thank you."  
  
She laughed, "Sure you are."  
  
Damian grabbed his wallet and pulled out his identification card, "Take a look for yourself."  
  
Faith glanced at the card for a second, "You don't think I've dealt with my fair share of fake identification cards?"  
  
"Why would I be in New York with a fake ID from California?"  
  
"Clever ruse," Faith commented as she further inspected the card, "Damian, the son of the devil."  
  
"You could say that," Damian blankly replied, thinking of Sonny.  
  
Faith liked his response, "You're blunt and yet retain some sense of comedic timing. Says right here that today would be your 21st."  
  
"Does it really?"  
  
Faith smiled as she handed the card back, looking at the young man with his hair and eyes. Maybe the night wouldn't be lost altogether. "Tell you what, birthday boy, I'm going to go into the back and come out with a special drink made just for you." She pointed to a table, "Why not take a seat over there and wait for me."  
  
Damian looked over and started to walk towards the table, "If you say so."  
  
Faith smiled wider as she retreated to the back. She had the best luck.  
  
Jason came down minutes later and saw Damian at a table, "What the hell are you doing here?" 


	31. Conscience

Shadow- Don't worry. FF.net often has problems. It's good for what it does, but sometimes the errors make it so very frustrating. Actually, the one who asked the question was Jason. I figure that he still thinks that Damian is A) not of legal drinking age and B) at the Cellar. Jason knows who owns the Cellar now, and went there to talk with said person. Seeing Sonny's son there, I felt that it would only be natural for him to wonder such a thing. I could be wrong. Oh, and you were the 50th review (cheer). Plus, I'm not going to LA tomorrow, the trip got postponed for a bit. So, I'll still be updating.  
  
Story-  
  
Damian turned himself around, hoping to ignore the fact that Jason Morgan, more than likely his father's lead henchman, was standing a mere five feet away. Jason, on the other hand, wasn't going to back down anytime soon. "I asked you a question."  
  
"I don't see how it's any of your business. I'm here, and I'm going to stay here."  
  
Jason grabbed Damian's shoulder, "No, you're not."  
  
"Give me one good reason why I should listen to you."  
  
"Because I know what goes on in this place and you don't," Jason told him, "Your father wouldn't like it if I just let you stay in this place."  
  
Damian chuckled, "Your attempt to make me a believer about Sonny's concern over my well being is noted, but it won't help any. I'm staying here."  
  
"I'll take you out by other means if I have to, don't think that I won't do whatever it takes to get my point across."  
  
"What are you going to do, Jason?" Damian wondered, "Shoot me for being unruly? I'm sure you or Sonny have done it plenty of times without giving it second thought. What's one more body added to the ever rising body count?"  
  
"This isn't the time or place for this discussion," Jason stated, "And I'm not the person that you should be talking to about this. Go back to the penthouse and talk with Sonny, work something out."  
  
"I'd love to, but I'm a bit busy at the moment."  
  
"With what?"  
  
Damian pointed behind Jason, "With her."  
  
Faith was carrying a small glass in one of her hands. She grinned at Jason, "Mr. Morgan, whatever do I owe the pleasure of your company?"  
  
"Stay out of this, Faith." Jason demanded.  
  
"Well, I'm sure if I were a better person I'd stay out of this, but since this is my establishment I can butt in as much as I want. But do tell me whatever it is that you two men are bickering about. After all, infighting is just so much more amusing when I can understand the subtext." Faith found that the day was picking up now, and she was plenty happy about it.  
  
"Go home now," Jason ordered Damian, "Either back to the penthouse or to your apartment, just get out of here."  
  
"I don't listen to orders, Jason," Damian stated sternly, "Not from you and certainly not from Sonny."  
  
Faith's ears perked up, "Now what would Sonny Corinthos want with a young man like yourself?"  
  
"That is none of your concern!" Jason pointed at Faith while looking at Damian, "Do this thing that I'm asking. If not for your father than at least for Michael."  
  
"Using the kid against me," Damian shook his head, "You really do use anything necessary."  
  
Faith whistled, "You two boys are tossing around a lot of names here. Sonny tends to be somehow involved in everything that happens around these parts, but why in the world would the carrot-top be mentioned?"  
  
Jason looked at her and noticed the cup she was holding. "Looking to poison someone else, Faith?"  
  
"Junior over there is 21 now. Surely your mental impairment didn't make you forget that in this country the legal drinking age is 21." She dangled the cup, swirling the contents inside, "It's my present to him, and you know how much I love giving presents." Jason knocked the glass out of her hand. It crashed to the ground and crumbled, spilling the alcohol inside the glass all over the floor. Faith pouted, "I hope you know that I'm expecting you to pay for that."  
  
"Put it on my tab," Jason retorted.  
  
"You don't have a tab," Faith countered.  
  
"And you don't have another victim," Jason yanked Damian by his arm, almost dragging him out of the Cellar.  
  
Faith huffed, "Well, that went nowhere fast. Oh, manservant!"  
  
Zander walked out of the shadows, "You know how much I hate it when you call me things like that."  
  
Faith grinned as she turned towards him, "And you know how much I don't give a damn about how you feel. I pay you more than you're worth and I expect service. If you want to be disobedient with me go right ahead, but I won't be responsible for picking up the pieces that are left of you when everything is said and done." She grabbed his jacket cuffs and fluffed them a bit, "Now, have we reached an agreement?"  
  
Zander was quiet for a moment before speaking. "Yeah, we are."  
  
"Good," Faith tapped his cheeks, "I want you to follow Morgan and that boy. I've got an idea about why Jason is so interested in him. Obviously he isn't a Quartermaine because if he was Jason more than likely wouldn't give a damn what he was doing. But do stay out of sight, would you? I'd hate it if I wasn't there to see you fall."  
  
"You just appreciate me so much, don't you?"  
  
Faith nodded, "I only pretend to not give a damn about the people that I value, Zander. Basic defense mechanism that I learned when I was just a little girl and wearing pink. Some things help you get through life, that's one of mine. Now, be a good boy and get to work."  
  
Outside-  
  
Jason dragged Damian around the corner, getting him a comfortable distance away from the Cellar, in case Faith felt like doing some eavesdropping. "You know you're on your way to a fast death hanging around people like Faith Rosco."  
  
"How much safer could she be than Sonny Corinthos?" Damian asked, "It seems to me like I can't take two steps in any direction around here without bumping into someone shady. Might as well spend some time with the evil person who didn't lie to me, right?"  
  
"She's deadly, Damian."  
  
"So are you."  
  
"I wasn't going to poison you," Jason commented, "She was."  
  
Damian rolled his eyes, "Aren't you being a little too suspicious of her?"  
  
"No," Jason responded bluntly, "I'm not. Your father sent me to check up on her, but I'm glad I bumped into you along the way. I'm even more thankful that I managed to save you from whatever it was Faith had planned for you. You should talk to Sonny, Damian."  
  
"We have nothing to talk about," Damian said, "I won't listen to his lies anymore."  
  
"Are you so sure that everything he says to you is a lie?"  
  
"I'm willing to take my chances."  
  
"Sonny's not willing to lose you."  
  
"He already did." Damian stated coldly.  
  
"Can't you just give him a chance?" Jason asked. He shouldn't be fighting Sonny's battles for him, but the chance presented itself. If he could help Sonny now he'd do it.  
  
"I don't let myself get stepped on more than once by anyone, Jason. Not even my father." Damian started to walk past Jason, "Thanks for the help, I suppose I should have been more careful around people in this town. Maybe I should have learned my lesson the first time. I'm sure that Sonny's got plenty of other things that he wanted you to do, so I won't keep you from it. Do me a favor if we ever meet up again, would you? Spare me the PBS infomercial drill, I don't have the time for it." Damian walked away, leaving Jason alone, or so he thought.  
  
"Interesting connection you have to that young man," Zander came out and stood in front of Jason. "You're trying to be the overprotective Uncle, and it isn't working."  
  
"He's not my nephew."  
  
Zander chuckled, "Let's count down the line until we find the connection, shall we? He's Sonny's son, who is Courtney's brother, and she's your wife. You want me to put it together for you?" Jason walked in the opposite direction of Zander.  
  
Port Charles Police Department-  
  
"They're in!" Scott Baldwin rushed into the room holding a paper, "The results from the autopsy on Radcliff."  
  
Ric got up, "What did they say?"  
  
"The same thing that we concluded. He overdosed on drugs. It's plenty of evidence that is needed to drag Sonny into the slammer!"  
  
Ric grabbed the paper and looked at the substance, "I'm afraid that you're going to have to wait a bit longer to put Sonny away, Scott."  
  
Scott's jaw dropped, "What are you talking about, Lansing?"  
  
"Sonny doesn't sell this product," Ric handed the paper back, "He can't be the culprit."  
  
"And why not?"  
  
"Think about it, Scott. How could Sonny provide Kyle with drugs that he doesn't have in his supply?"  
  
"It doesn't take that long to get some new product in, Ric!" Scott stated, "Why are you protecting him?"  
  
"Because you're trying to drag him down for something that he had no part of. We're here to uphold the law, not bend it to our liking."  
  
"Since when?" Scott wondered, "This place has been corrupt since before Edward Quartermaine was born!"  
  
"It's stopping now, Scott!" Ric ordered, "We're not putting ourselves under further scrutiny anymore! I'm tired of being sent on hunches only to have it come back in the paper and make us all look like we're incompetent. If you had any idea how to really do this job you'd feel the same way."  
  
"You picked the worst time to develop a conscience!"  
  
Ric turned away, "It's about time that one of us did." 


	32. Questions Without Answers

Shadow- I could picture a young, relatively untainted, Faith dancing around in a pink tutu. It's pretty scary, but plenty realistic. And even if it isn't true, you're right, it's something Faith would say in a heartbeat. She's so wicked, that widow maker. Jason's less than pleasant and gentle evacuation of Damian was needed, even if she wasn't planning on poisoning him at that point in time. It's actually a good thing that the trip got postponed. Now I have a chance of going to Disneyland and California Adventures. Word is that Cali Adven has a soap opera café. And if this is true (one of my best friends told me, so it probably is), I won't be stopped from going in there and acting like a beatnik.  
  
Maddie- Thanks for the review! It's always good to know that I please the reader!  
  
The Cellar-  
  
Zander Smith did not enjoy being treated like he was some lackey. Although he couldn't deny that based on what he did with his life it was indeed his choice of a lifestyle. He worked for Faith, not with her. They weren't partners in any sense of the word, not even in bed. To her, he was submissive, and Zander wasn't the type of man that would just stand around and obey. Faith had made it very clear to him, however, that if he did try and run away from the life she would see him dead. He was good at avoiding trouble for the most part, but he wasn't sure that he could live a life where he was constantly watching his back for one of her other minions. He was already part of a very dangerous life, but at least he had some control over it. If he ran from Faith he might not be so lucky. For now he'd just be a good servant, but he was quickly realizing that his threshold for obedience was wearing thin. When it broke what would happen? Maybe he didn't want to find out.  
  
Faith was on her knees, dealing with the mess that Jason Morgan had left her. She was cautious when she was cleaning up the shattered glass that littered the floor of her bar. She didn't want her skin cut. She was a fan of blood, although it wasn't all that great when the blood was hers. Now that the excitement was gone she was bored again. The worst part for her was the fact that she didn't even get to play with the young pup that had made an appearance. The drink wasn't even laced with anything, her plan was to get him drunk enough of pure liquor before she put anything special inside. Jason ruined that for her, much like he ruined just about everything. "I never was any good at cleaning up messes."  
  
"But you're plenty good at being on your knees," Zander came down the stairs and chuckled, "Your choice of activity is just a whole lot different."  
  
She got up and wiped her hand, "You're right. I'm just so much better at making messes than I am at cleaning them up. Maybe it's just my special talent."  
  
"I wouldn't go that far," Zander smugly commented.  
  
Faith mock pouted once more, "You're just no fun today, Mr. Smith."  
  
"You don't pay me to be fun, Faith."  
  
She shook her head, "On the contrary, my pet. I pay you to do whatever I want done and make sure that it is done right." She pinched his cheek harshly, "Which reminds me, didn't I send you on a mission of some kind a few minutes ago?"  
  
"You did."  
  
Faith thought about it, "You better have results for me."  
  
Zander smiled, "Would I come back if I didn't have what you wanted?"  
  
"I asked you to do my grocery shopping and you couldn't do it all," Faith commented.  
  
Zander sighed, "How many times must I tell you, Faith? They do not make black vanilla ice cream. I know that you can't even look at white without hissing, but you were asking for just a bit too much there."  
  
"Oh, I never ask for too much," Faith sat on a stool, "I always make sure that the amount I want is just right."  
  
"You want the information that I have for you or not?"  
  
Faith grabbed a pretzel and dangled it in her fingers, "That depends, is it worth my time?"  
  
"I'm willing to bet it is," Zander stated.  
  
Faith took a bite of the pretzel, "Fine, do tell."  
  
"That kid you met earlier is Sonny's son."  
  
Faith laughed, "It's so easy to tell when you're lying."  
  
Zander looked at her, "Then you should be able to tell that I am not lying right now, shouldn't you?"  
  
"The only kids that Sonny has are the Quartermaine throwaway and the miracle baby," Faith said. "Sonny never said anything about having a full grown son."  
  
"I heard him and Jason talking about something. They kept on mentioning 'father' and 'Sonny', it doesn't take a genius to put those two together. Damian is Sonny's son."  
  
Faith giggled, "I knew he got around once he came into power around here but I never imagined that he was so wild when he was a mere underling. Don't get any ideas of planting your seeds inside people while you're under my rule, Zander. In the meantime," She pulled out some money from her cleavage, "You've made a believer out of me." She took a smaller amount from the wad and placed it in Zander's pocket, "Make sure you use it to buy me something pretty. You know how much I like the shiny stuff."  
  
"When are you going to stop treating me like I'm your subordinate?" Zander asked.  
  
Without turning around and looking at him, Faith gave her answer, "When you stop acting like my subordinate, dear Zander. You grew up watching 'Dallas', I'm sure you can think of a few ways to use J.R.'s teachings and make an impact." She heard Zander hurry up the stairs once more as she reached for a bottle from behind the counter, "Just don't mess up if you try, I won't be there to pick you up when you fall."  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
Jason walked in without knocking, if Sonny had gone somewhere Jason would have known about it. The only place he could be was at the penthouse. While Jason was expecting to see Sonny in the living room he was instead shocked to see Carly there, her eyes welled up with tears. Carly turned to him and quickly got to her feet and hugged him, "Thank God you're here!"  
  
Jason placed his arms around Carly, "What is it? What's wrong?"  
  
She pulled away from him, "It's Michael."  
  
Jason looked up towards the area where Michael's room was, "What's wrong with him?"  
  
"He's mad at me," Carly said.  
  
"He's not hurt or anything, is he?" Jason asked.  
  
She shook her head, "Not physically, no. But, Jason, he's torn apart right now. He's blaming me for what happened with Damian. He's absolutely crushed that Damian moved out."  
  
Jason walked her over to the couch, "You saw how much they connected while he was living here, Carly. Michael was used to being the big brother, when he got one of his own it should have been obvious that they would build a close relationship. You shouldn't have been expecting anything else in the event that Damian did leave."  
  
"He's so trusting of people that come into our lives," Carly mused, "He's got that childlike ignorance that I never had. I tried to give him everything I could to make him happy. At times that involved getting out of his life when I knew that I'd do more bad than good. I should have never let them get so close."  
  
"You couldn't have stopped it from happening no matter how hard you tried, Carly."  
  
"I could have kept him from moving into this house!" Carly lashed out, "I should have held firm in my belief that he was only going to wreck everything, made Sonny see that I was right. But instead I folded. I wanted to give my husband what he wanted, and look where it got me."  
  
Jason was always supportive of Carly, even in the times where he thought she was wrong. They had a strange relationship that only they truly understood. At one time it was something much more than their close friendship, but it was better suited this way. They had become closer than most natural brothers and sisters. Jason certainly felt more at ease around Carly than he did around his blood relatives. Emily might have been an exception only because she was adopted. Still, even with the kinship that Jason and Emily had it wouldn't compare to that which was shared by Carly and Jason. "Michael," Jason stopped himself, not exactly sure as to how he would explain what he needed to say, "Michael was always afraid that the two of you would clash so much that something like this would happen. He said that he thought you hated him."  
  
"It wasn't far from the truth," Carly replied.  
  
"But he couldn't understand why you hated him, Carly." Jason pointed out, "Michael's not able to understand a lot of things right now. You're not giving him the answers that he wants and needs to the questions that he's asking."  
  
"I can't explain why I don't trust the boy, Jason."  
  
"Then how can you expect Michael to understand it?" Jason asked, "Maybe once you find the answers inside of yourself you can help him realize what you want him to understand. Whatever that may be."  
  
"Do you think I was being too harsh?" Carly grabbed his knee. She valued his opinion more than she valued a lot of other people's. At times that list included Sonny. This was such a time.  
  
"I think that you're a woman with strong opinions, Carly. At times they can be so strong that they will blind you from what you need to see, but you eventually do see something that either changes your opinion on only affirms it. He only gave you reasons to think that he was here to do something that would hurt you and your family in your eyes. You weren't doing anything more than acting on instinct."  
  
Carly hugged him again, "I'd crumble without you, Jason. You know that, right?"  
  
"You're a strong person, Carly. You'd eventually find a way to get along without me."  
  
Carly shook her head, "No, you're not going anywhere!"  
  
Jason smirked at her, "You know that isn't true. We can't live forever, Carly, it's a fact of life. I don't intend on going anywhere anytime soon, and I will be wherever you need me to be if you just tell me to be there for you, but someday one of us won't be coming back. Given the life we lead, I'm pretty sure that I'm the one that's going to go first."  
  
"Don't talk like that," Carly pleaded, "You can't leave me, you can't leave Courtney."  
  
Sonny walked down, "Morgan's asleep again. Leticia was right, he falls asleep easier in my arms." He saw the scene in front of his eyes, "What's going on here?"  
  
Carly looked up, "Nothing, Jason's just helping me reflect on my life, like always."  
  
"What did you find?" Sonny asked Jason, who was either more concerned about Faith or simply did not care about what Carly was going through at the moment.  
  
"I found your son at the Cellar," Jason informed Sonny.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Sonny asked, "He's not even old enough to drink yet."  
  
"As of today he is."  
  
Sonny shook his head, "And?"  
  
"Faith was going to give him a drink, I stopped him from taking it and made sure that he knew what kind of a person Faith is. I got the message across and he left."  
  
"You didn't have to do that," Sonny told Jason, "He's an adult, he can make his own choices. He doesn't need me or anyone else fixing the problems he gets himself into."  
  
"I couldn't just let Faith poison the kid," Jason stated. "But aside from that I didn't have any chance to inspect her and now she'll be expecting me."  
  
"We blew the chance we had," Sonny surmised. "But, I guess I can live with it. You helped my boy, Jason. Thanks."  
  
"I've got a shipment coming later tonight," Jason informed Sonny, "If you need anything you know how to get in touch with me."  
  
As soon as Jason was out the door Sonny turned and started to walk upstairs, "Sonny!" Carly called out, "What's happening to us?"  
  
Sonny refused to turn around, "I don't know, Carly. I just don't know." He walked up the stairs and out of her sight. 


	33. Uninvited

Shadow- I certainly hope that I can go to the park, but it is a very slim chance at best. Still, small chances are better than none at all, right? At least now I know that it is there, and if I do go, I can take pictures (pets the digital camera). Yes, the main purpose of that chapter was to showcase Jason and Carly's very unique bond with one another. The secondary plot point was the marriage being in shambles. But, like you've said, when aren't they going through something? It just wouldn't be GH if we didn't have a Sonny/Carly marriage problem rammed down our throats at every possible chance, right?  
  
Story-  
  
Los Angeles, California-  
  
The news was ending as Damian's Grandmother and Grandfather clicked the television off. Living without their grandson, even for these few short weeks that he was gone, had taken its toll on them both. He was their last remembrance of Ana-Maria, a child that could do them and the memory of his mother proud. They were patient people, they always had been. While some would have taken a more pro-active approach towards the boy, they let him forge his own path in life. For better or for worse that made him a unique person, with an identity all his own. The phone rang. His Grandmother picked it up, "Hello?"  
  
"Nana?"  
  
She smiled, "Damian! Baby, we haven't heard from you in such a long time. Why haven't you called?"  
  
"I've just been busy with school and stuff," Damian left out the real time sucker in his life at the moment, his family.  
  
"I'm glad you took the time to call," She said, "Is everything all right?"  
  
"No," His voice was hollow, "No, it isn't."  
  
"What's the matter, sweetie?"  
  
"Nothing really," He replied, "I guess I'm just a bit homesick."  
  
"This was your home for your entire life," She was already worried about him. She could tell when something was wrong with him. Then she remembered something, "It's your birthday today, isn't it?"  
  
"Well, technically yesterday," Damian informed her, "It's already tomorrow here in New York. I hope I didn't call you too late."  
  
She shook her head even though she knew that he couldn't see her, "It's never too late if you need to speak with me, you know that."  
  
"This is hard on me," He told her, "Being here and away from the two of you."  
  
"You knew it would be."  
  
"Not this hard."  
  
She laughed, "You know, when you left the airport in that plane I thought that you didn't need me anymore. It's nice to know that I'm still of value to you."  
  
"You always will be, Nana," Damian told her, "Don't ever think otherwise."  
  
She smiled, "How was your birthday?"  
  
"I played the piano."  
  
There was silence between the two. She was happy for him. He had given up on one of the few things that ever brought him happiness after his mother died. She never thought he would play again. That didn't answer her questions, though, "I thought you would never play the piano again."  
  
"So did I," He responded softly, "But it was there, and I remembered how mom would always want me to play her a song on her birthday. I did it for her."  
  
His Grandmother wiped away a tear, "Did it help?"  
  
"Not really," Damian informed her, "I still miss her, and it didn't bring her back."  
  
"Nothing ever will, Damian." She stated, "That's just the way that the Lord works."  
  
"I guess," He was blank again, she could feel his misery.  
  
She was quick to change the subject, "Did you make any friends over there yet?"  
  
"No, not really," He thought of Maxie. What was she to him? Was she a friend? Was she something more? Or, maybe, she was something less because of the kiss. Then he thought of Elizabeth. She was his friend, or so he thought. Perhaps she wasn't, perhaps she only tolerated him because she was working.  
  
"You sound awful, Damian," She surmised, "Why don't you get some sleep? It's late and I'm sure you could use the rest."  
  
"I'm not very tired."  
  
She laughed, "You can't lie to me, not even over the phone. Get some rest."  
  
There was more silence. Finally he spoke, "Okay." He hung up his phone and was about to throw himself on the bed when there was a light tap on his door. He looked at it cautiously before turning the knob. He wasn't expecting the person on the other side, "Sonny?"  
  
"Can I come in?" Sonny asked.  
  
"How did you get up here?"  
  
"I have my ways," Sonny responded.  
  
Damian held the door open, "I'm sure you do. Come on in."  
  
Sonny walked over to the window and looked outside, "Jason told me that you were at the Cellar earlier."  
  
"I was."  
  
"Do you have any idea how dangerous that woman is?"  
  
"The blond?" He wondered, "She looked pretty harmless to me."  
  
Sonny laughed, "There's a reason that she wears nothing but black. She's the widow, a killer who does the worst things she can to people without feeling anything at all."  
  
"Kind of like you," Damian commented smugly.  
  
"I'm sorry about that," Sonny replied, "I am truly sorry that I didn't tell you the truth about who I was."  
  
"Who you are."  
  
Sonny shook his head, "No, who I was." Sonny turned around, "I wasn't honest with you when you asked me about my life before, but I am being honest with you now. I don't do that anymore."  
  
"Why should I trust you this time, Sonny?" Damian asked, "You've lied to me once, I won't let it happen again."  
  
"I shot Carly, Damian," Sonny sat on the edge of the bed, "I almost killed my wife because I was too stupid and blind to realize that she was really in love with me and no one else. I almost lost her and Morgan because of the life I once lead. I wouldn't do it anymore. I couldn't sacrifice them after that."  
  
"I'm glad you came to that conclusion, Sonny. But that doesn't change what you did to me." Damian leaned against the wall, "I wanted the truth from you, and you didn't give it to me."  
  
"What was I supposed to say?" Sonny asked, "That I was a crime lord who was involved in large number of illegal activities? How would you have taken that piece of information?"  
  
"I would have accepted it, Sonny!" Damian almost yelled, but he still didn't want to wake up the other people living around him. Although, it was early Saturday morning, they were probably still up. "I wouldn't have liked it, just like I don't like it right now, but you would have been honest with me and that would have meant more than anything. I can take a lot of things from different people. A couple of those people I might be able to take being lied to about something. But I can't take it from you. I cannot accept being lied to by my own father."  
  
"I can't turn back time!" Sonny was also losing his temper, but that would only push the boy even further away. He didn't want that. "I can only apologize for the things that I have done to you in the past and hope that you can give me a chance to mend them in the future."  
  
Damian shook his head, "I don't think I can just wave my hands and forget all the lies."  
  
"Michael's having a hard time adjusting to this," Sonny said, "He thinks that you abandoned him."  
  
"I didn't," Damian retorted, "I'll be there for Michael and Morgan if they need me."  
  
"He needs you now."  
  
"I'm only a phone call away, Sonny."  
  
"You don't understand," Sonny began, "He needs you to be living with us again."  
  
"Is it him that needs it, or you?"  
  
Sonny looked up, "Both."  
  
"I can't do it, not again." Damian opened the door again, "Please let Michael know that I'll still be there for him when he needs it."  
  
"What about me? If I need you?"  
  
"I can't answer that question."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
Damian turned away, "Because I don't know the answer myself. Please, Sonny, just leave me alone right now."  
  
"I'm not giving up on this." Sonny informed his son, "I'm not giving up on you."  
  
"Then it might be you who ends up having your hopes crushed next time," Damian shut the door softly and crashed on his bed, eyes looking up at the ceiling. Sonny walked down the stairs and out of Kelly's. With one last look at Damian's window he walked away, not sure how he was going to fix the damage that had been done. 


	34. Malady

Shadow- The Zuniga family still has a very big part to play in the overall plot of this story. It's almost always a running theme in my characters that they love their grandmother/nana. The other parents and grandparents might not get it so lucky, but the grandmother always gets the love. Doing otherwise would be blasphemy. I'm glad I kept you on your toes with Sonny's impromptu arrival. Most of what I do, I think, is kind of predictable, but I do enjoy throwing curve-balls every chance I get. You'll see as the story progresses, I've still got a couple. Yeah, I understand what you're saying perfectly, the people do think of him as his friend, but Damian himself is insecure and doubting it. Something like that, right? If not then I guess I don't understand.  
  
Story-  
  
Lorenzo Alcazar's Home-  
  
One of Lorenzo's many bodyguards opened the door, "Mr. Alcazar, Faith Rosco is here to see you."  
  
Lorenzo shuffled through some of the memos that he had received overnight, "I did not request Ms. Rosco's presence."  
  
"No one requests me, Lorenzo," Faith pushed past the guard, "I just show up."  
  
Lorenzo chuckled, "You are quite similar to certain aftereffects of an activity that you enjoy engaging in, you know that?"  
  
"I didn't come here to trade insults with you," Faith sat on the arm of Lorenzo's couch, "Not today."  
  
"Enlighten me, Ms. Rosco," Lorenzo poured a glass of liquor, he'd need it to cure the head ache that Faith would more than likely leave in her wake, "What are you doing here then?"  
  
"I've got a bit of news for you," Faith made sure that she sounded like she was going to hold something back from him. "If you're a good boy, I'll give it to you."  
  
"And how does one act like a 'good boy' in your standards?" Lorenzo did not even turn to face her. She was already wearing thin on him with her ways.  
  
"If you have to ask, you'll never know," Faith replied sarcastically.  
  
"It is much too early to play these games, Faith. Just get to the point."  
  
"What could possibly be more important than what I have to tell you?" Faith asked, "You already spend too much time fawning over Carly, who you can never have. I'm sure that anything else takes a huge hit on your daily schedule of childlike daydreaming!"  
  
"For your information I have a global organization that needs to be run by myself and myself alone," Lorenzo pointed out, "That takes much of my time, not Carly."  
  
Faith brushed it off, "Whatever you need to believe in order to function correctly, who am I to judge?"  
  
"Faith," Lorenzo started with a heavy tone of anger in his voice, "I am going to ask you this one last time, and if you do not give me an actual answer I will see to it that your voice box is ripped out. Why are you here?"  
  
"You don't have to get all violent on me," Faith ribbed, knowing that she could do it to Lorenzo and get away with it. "But, since you've insisted, rather forcefully I might add, I'll tell you. It looks like we've another Corinthos on our hands."  
  
Lorenzo downed a shot, "If you are speaking of Damian Zuniga I have been aware of him since shortly after his arrival."  
  
"And you didn't even tell me?" Faith pouted.  
  
"You did not need to know."  
  
"That's not for you to decide," Faith stated defiantly.  
  
Lorenzo laughed, "Oh, but it is, Faith. You seem to forget in your often overestimation of yourself that I am the one with the power in this room, not you. You can back yourself up with the fact that you slaughtered the Five Families without any opposition till the day you finally do die, but that doesn't mean that you are somehow invulnerable. I've allowed you a certain degree of slack that I probably should not have granted you in hindsight, but it is too late to fix that. However, it is never too late to warn you that my patience with you is wearing ever thin."  
  
"Well, damn," Faith uttered, "It looks like I broke a nail on my way over here."  
  
Lorenzo turned his head over his shoulder, "Did you even hear a word I just said?"  
  
"You're getting mad at me, you're in control, I'm a weak woman, blah blah blah. You've had your monologue." Faith wasn't quite done with Alcazar yet, "So, tell me, what do you intend on doing with the new kid?"  
  
"I've done everything I can to this point. I have sought him out, offered him a job in the organization-"  
  
Faith grinned, "You offered Sonny Corinthos's oldest son a job in your organization? Are you crazy?"  
  
"Of all the people in this town that should be questioning my sanity, you are at the very bottom of that list," Lorenzo spat out, "I know what I'm doing."  
  
"What if Sonny already knows that you went and offered junior a place in Alcazar International?"  
  
"He doesn't. I have my sources."  
  
"Another mole like Johnny?" Faith asked, "Didn't you learn your lesson the first time? Sonny can weed out double agents with ease."  
  
"The procedures that I take in my operations are for my own knowledge and no one else's," Lorenzo poured another shot, "Zuniga should not be your concern."  
  
"I never said I was concerned."  
  
"It shows on your face."  
  
"That's just a makeup smudge, I was in a hurry."  
  
Lorenzo laughed once more, "Don't attempt to hide your insecurities from me, Faith. I can read you like an open book. You did something to that boy, or at least tried to, and now you're afraid that Sonny will retaliate for attempting to harm a hair on his precious child's face."  
  
"I liked his face a little too much to dare hurt it," Faith replied sarcastically. "I'm glad we had this little chat, Lorenzo."  
  
"You know where the door is," Lorenzo stated rather rudely. He wasn't going to hide the fact that he wanted Faith out of his home, the sooner the better.  
  
"If I have anything further to discuss with you I will be in touch."  
  
"I dread the moment."  
  
Faith turned to him as she grabbed the handle, "Maybe you'll eat those words one of these times." She slammed the door as she made her exit.  
  
"I highly doubt that, Faith. Highly."  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
Carly walked down the stairs of her home. Her life was less than pleasant these days and she couldn't help but feel that a part of that was her own fault. Her son was upset with her, her husband had become distant, and even her best friends were doubting her judgment. With all of these people against her, Carly almost wavered. But she was always a stubborn woman who would stick by her decision until she felt that it should change. Regardless of how many people liked Damian, she wasn't going to conform just on the basis of having a less hectic home life. Still, there were many things that she missed. She missed Michael talking to her about the stupid little things that children would often wonder about. She missed Sonny's warm embrace every time they entered the same room. She missed the past, and she would likely never have it back. There were some sounds coming from the kitchen. Carly picked up the nightgown she was still in and walked over. She saw her husband working hard, "Sonny?"  
  
Sonny looked over his shoulder, "Good morning, Carly."  
  
She felt his cold tone, it covered her heart with a layer of ice, "I," She stopped herself, "You never came to bed last night."  
  
"I know."  
  
She walked closer, "Well, where did you sleep?"  
  
"I didn't sleep. I had some things I needed to take care of."  
  
"Sonny," Carly grabbed his shoulder. She was relieved when he didn't pull away from her, "You know that you can have Jason or Max or anyone else that you employ take care of anything for you."  
  
"This was something I needed to do myself," Sonny said.  
  
"Did you get it done?"  
  
He was quiet as he worked on the meal, "No."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
He grabbed some spices from the rack, "Don't be. It had nothing to do with you."  
  
"What are you doing now?" She asked.  
  
'Making Michael's favorite breakfast." Sonny turned up the fire, "Hopefully this will make him feel better and actually start talking to us again."  
  
"You're going to try and bribe our son with food?" Carly was a little shocked.  
  
"It's worked on you plenty of times," Sonny commented, "And if he's anything like his mother, it will work on him as well."  
  
The two shared a brief laugh between themselves before things turned distant once again. Carly moved her eyes away, they were filled with sadness. "Sonny, you may never forgive me for doing whatever it was that I did, but I am sorry. I wish I could feel otherwise, but I can't."  
  
"I wish you could, too," Sonny got the spatula, "I also wish that I didn't mess up so much in the past. One mistake after another, and each time its tore at a portion of my soul. I've been lucky before, able to somehow rebound from whatever it was that I managed to screw up. But maybe this is where my luck runs out. I was able to salvage my relationship with Mike, keep my little sister and Jason, regain your love, but now I might be out of hope."  
  
"Don't think like that," Carly pleaded, "You can't give up. Sonny, if you want something badly enough, I know you can find a way to get it."  
  
"One step at a time," Sonny replied as he grabbed a plate and put all the food on it, "If this doesn't work we're taking a trip to the toy store."  
  
"I can't believe we're forced to bribery for our son's favor."  
  
"Better now then when he's a teenager and wants a new car," Sonny stated calmly as he walked out of the kitchen.  
  
"You'd buy him a new car, too, wouldn't you?"  
  
"Anything for my children, Carly. Anything."  
  
Sonny gently tapped the door leading into Michael's room with his shoulder. The door pushed open and the sleeping figure of Michael was seen. He looked so tranquil, it completely billeted the troubled state he was in. Both parents wished that it could stay like that, but they knew that there was no way that could happen. "Hey, buddy," Sonny called out softly to his son.  
  
Michael woke up and rubbed his eyes. Carly smiled, "Morning, sweetie." Michael turned his eyes over to her but did not speak. Carly was visibly affected, her smile quickly faded.  
  
"Here," Sonny placed the plate out in front of Michael, "Daddy made your favorite breakfast just for you."  
  
Michael gazed at the food, his face showing no emotion. Carly didn't like the attitude, "Michael, daddy spent a lot of time making that for you. The least you can do is say thank you."  
  
Michael stared at Sonny for a long moment before he shook his head. "Come on, buddy," Sonny began, "It's only two words, one if you want to make it 'thanks', what's so hard?" Michael shook his head more rapidly before he grabbed a piece of paper and a crayon, writing on it. He handed the paper over to Carly.  
  
She looked at it and read what it said, "Can't talk." She put the paper down in a split second and saw Sonny staring at her, the feeling was mutual. 


	35. The Unknown

Shadow- Congratulations are in order, I do suppose! My best wishes for you, your fiancée, and the baby! Worry not about age, everything should turn out fine in the end. As for FF.net being the devil, yes, this is true. It has always been problematic for me and many others. Yet it so damned easy to post stuff here that it is, at times, worth dealing with its evil ways. Even Helena Cassadine herself would find a hard time dealing with such evil. Thanks for the praise, I never can get enough of that. The answer, or, partial answer, to Michael's condition is herein.  
  
Story-  
  
"What does this mean?" Carly asked, looking at Michael.  
  
"Come on, buddy," Sonny pleaded with his son, "Quit playing around." Michael shook his head even more rapidly. Sonny sighed, "Mike."  
  
"Sonny," Carly interjected, "What if he really can't talk? It isn't like him to lie." She rushed over and placed her hand on his forehead, feeling for anything unusual, "He doesn't have a fever."  
  
"Michael," Sonny spoke softly, "I want you to be perfectly honest with Mommy and Daddy, okay?" Michael nodded his head in affirmation. "Are you telling the truth? Can you not talk?" Michael again nodded.  
  
Carly hugged her child, "Oh, my baby, what's wrong?"  
  
Sonny pulled out his cell, "I'll call Doctor Lewis, have him meet us at the hospital."  
  
"What about Morgan?" Carly asked.  
  
"Leticia-"  
  
"Went to visit her mother for the weekend, remember?"  
  
In this state of slight panic, Sonny had forgotten that the nanny had indeed gotten some much deserved time off. He continued to dial the numbers, thinking as fast as humanly possible, "Go get Courtney. Tell her what happened and tell her that we need someone to watch Morgan. I don't want him to be in the hospital with us, since I don't know how long we'll be there."  
  
"What about Michael?"  
  
"I'll be right here watching him while I'm on the phone. Carly, just go. The more time we waste the worse it can get."  
  
Carly nodded as she dashed out the door. "Please let him be okay."  
  
Cameron Lewis picked up on the other line, "Hello?"  
  
"Dr. Lewis? This is Sonny Corinthos. Could you please meet me at the hospital as soon as possible?"  
  
Cameron heard Sonny's distress in his voice, "Sonny, is something wrong with Carly?"  
  
"No, it's not Carly. It's Michael."  
  
"What's the problem?"  
  
"I don't know," Sonny quickly answered, "He's telling us that he can't talk and I don't think he's playing a game."  
  
"I see," Cameron's voice was heavy, he wasn't entirely sure that there was a problem. But it was his job to diagnose such things, he needed to at least examine the boy before he made an astute prognosis. "I'm on my way to the office right now, meet me here as soon as possible."  
  
"We'll be there as soon as we can," Sonny closed the phone and gently grabbed his son's hand. "Don't be afraid, Mike. Mommy and Daddy are going to take you to the hospital and they're going to make everything all better."  
  
Courtney came inside, "Sonny?" She saw that Michael didn't look at all different. But she saw Carly's eyes. Carly felt that there was some legitimate reason to be afraid for Michael's well being. Courtney wouldn't doubt Carly's love for her children. It was one of the few constants in her life. "Carly went up to the room, she's going to get dressed before you take him. What's wrong?"  
  
"I wish I had a clue, but I'm not a doctor. I can tell when someone's been shot, or when a bone is broken, but this is way out of my league."  
  
"Don't scare him, Sonny." Courtney advised, "He needs to see that you're being strong, it will make him stronger, too."  
  
Sonny threw Michael's sheets off and picked him up into his arms. Michael grabbed onto his father's neck for support, "You can watch Morgan, can't you?"  
  
"Of course," Courtney kept the door open for Sonny, "Just keep me informed of anything that happens."  
  
"Tell Carly I went down to the car," Sonny requested as he walked down the stairs.  
  
"Don't be afraid, Michael!" Courtney called out, "Nothing bad will happen to you." She turned towards the nursery, "I hope."  
  
General Hospital-  
  
Although they were mentally in a rush to find out anything at all about the condition of their son, Carly and Sonny remained as calm as possible. Courtney was right, Michael would pick up on the emotional signals that his parents were giving and he would adjust himself accordingly. Acting out on the panic that they were feeling only further put their son in whatever danger he might have fallen under. They would smile at him and tell him that everything was going to be fine, even though they might not have believed it all themselves.  
  
Bobbie was working at the desk and saw that her grandson was being cradled by his father. Her instincts took over, "What's the matter with him?"  
  
"We don't know," Sonny responded.  
  
"How could you not know?" Bobbie was less than supportive of their ignorance.  
  
"Carly," Sonny began, "I need to take him to see Dr. Lewis. Could you please explain this to your mother?"  
  
"Yeah," Carly answered, "Just make sure that you don't leave our boy."  
  
"I wouldn't think of it."  
  
Bobbie watched as Sonny hurried down the hall. "Mom," Carly said, "You shouldn't have attacked us like that."  
  
"He's your son!" Bobbie pointed out, "How could you not know that something was wrong with him?"  
  
"He woke up and couldn't talk, mother!" Carly was on the defensive now, it was not something she was accustomed to, "Last night he was perfectly fine, but now I don't know what happened."  
  
Bobbie calmed herself down, "I'm sorry, Carly. I didn't mean to attack you or Sonny like that. I just don't want anything bad to happen."  
  
"None of us do." Carly hugged her mother, "Mom?"  
  
"Yeah, honey?"  
  
"Just tell me that everything will be okay."  
  
Some Time Later-  
  
Michael was in a hospital gown and on an examination table. Cameron was inspecting his responses. Bobbie, Carly, and Sonny all looked on. None of them speaking a word, but having a million thoughts run through their head with every second that ticked. Cameron entered some final data into his folder and closed it. "Everything checks out fine. Michael has no physical ailment."  
  
"Then why can't he talk?" Sonny asked.  
  
Cameron shook his head, "I wish I had a concrete answer to give you, but I don't."  
  
"You're supposed to be a doctor!" Carly almost yelled, "Why can't you tell me what is wrong with my son?"  
  
"I might not have an exact reason for Michael's problem, but I do have a theory. His mind has forgotten the speech function because he doesn't want to talk. Has he been through any recent trauma?"  
  
Sonny and Carly exchanged quick glances. Sonny was the one who asked the question, "Why would that have anything to do with this?"  
  
"Well if Michael has had a hard time coping with something that has happened recently. A death in the family or such, he might not have the ability to express it properly so he's just opted instead to keep everything inside. Until he comes to terms with whatever it is that he's having trouble with he might not talk again."  
  
"You can't do anything at all, Cameron?" Bobbie wondered.  
  
"As much as I would love to help you all with this problem, it isn't something that medicine can heal effectively. I'd like to give Michael time to deal with this on his own before I even start thinking about procedures to take." Cameron started towards the door, "Until then your best bet at solving this problem is finding out what caused Michael to be this way in the first place and helping him adjust through it. I'll be in touch if I find anything that may be of help."  
  
The door shut softly. Bobbie didn't take the same liberty with the pitch in her voice, "You've both got a lot of explaining to do. I'd like to know what it is that happened recently that made my grandson a temporary mute."  
  
Carly shook her head, "I don't know, mom."  
  
"Damian," Sonny uttered.  
  
"What about him?" Bobbie asked.  
  
"We had a fight and he moved out," Sonny told his mother-in-law. "Michael found out and he's been acting miserable ever since."  
  
"Why would he have anything to do with this?" Carly didn't want the theory to have any merit at all.  
  
"You know how much Michael resented him leaving," Sonny said, "It's the only thing that I can think of."  
  
Carly sighed, "So what do you suggest we do?"  
  
"Get him over here." 


	36. Blood Ties

Shadow- Sorry that FF.net is having issues, as I have said, it is the way that things have been and will forever be. Trust me, I've been a member of this site for two years, give or take, and everything has been the same. Granted, they've gotten a little better, but overall it's still plenty buggy. I do hope that you were able to read Chapter 35, and, subsequently, Chapter 36. If not, I understand, for it is not your fault, it is the devilish ways of Fanfiction.net.  
  
Story-  
  
Carly watched as Sonny dug into his pocket, no doubt getting ready to pull out his cell phone and call his son. She reached for his hand and stopped him, "How can you be so sure, Sonny? Maybe Michael ate something that didn't agree with his stomach."  
  
Sonny gently pulled his hand away from Carly's, "I know you don't like the kid much, Carly. But don't you think that, for one brief moment, you could stop acting selfish, only thinking of yourself, and instead worry about your son?"  
  
"My children are the most important things in my life, much more important than myself!" Carly was offended that Sonny would even assume that she didn't care about Michael enough to get over her less than pleasant opinion of Damian.  
  
"Then why not act like it for a change," Sonny said bluntly as he pulled out the phone.  
  
As he was about to dial he heard a voice from down the hall, "You've really done it this time, Sonny!"  
  
Sonny looked up to see Alan and Monica walking towards him. It was Alan's voice who he heard, and it was Alan who spoke to him again, "What happened to our grandson?"  
  
"That is the concern of Michael's parents and his parents alone," Sonny said. "Or, do you need me to get a copy of the adoption papers stating that I am Michael's father, legally, under any and all circumstances."  
  
"Regardless of the court's decree we are his birth grandparents!" Alan's voice was getting louder with each word, "We're blood!"  
  
"Tainted blood," Sonny shot back.  
  
Monica interjected in an effort to act as peacemaker, "Please. Sonny, Carly, we just want to know what happened. We love Michael so much and only want to make sure that he is all right. I'm sure we can speak with each other peacefully, without the constant threats and accusations. Can't we, Alan?"  
  
Alan calmed his nerves, but it was obvious that he still wasn't very comfortable with the situation that he found himself placed under. "Yes," He replied, "We can."  
  
"We don't owe you any explanations!" Carly stated, "Michael is our son, our responsibility. You're just upset because there is a life that the Quatermaine's cannot control. You can't manipulate my son's life like you have everyone else that has been a member of that family!" Carly stood at Sonny's side, "Sonny is a much better father to Michael than AJ ever could be. You want to know why? Because Sonny is capable of caring for people in ways that don't involve how much they are worth financially. He doesn't see people as risks to the business or the family reputation. He sees them for who they are."  
  
"If Sonny's such a good father then why does he continue to constantly place both your children in danger?" Alan asked, "We might be a family with certain quirks, but we never go around carrying guns, worrying about turning the corner and being shot in the back!"  
  
"All right, enough!" Bobbie yelled. She had stayed in the room with her grandson for long enough, she wasn't going to let this outburst pour into his room. "Alan, Monica, we don't know what Michael's condition is exactly, but Doctor Lewis has said that it is something psychological."  
  
"No doubt some trauma that he has went through living with that mobster!" Alan stated, "I watched as you took my son away from me, I won't let you do it to my grandson as well!"  
  
"You don't know if this is his fault, Alan!" Monica stated, "Just let it be."  
  
Alan looked at his wife, "Now you're defending him?"  
  
"I'm trying to be supportive for Michael's well being. He may not ever recognize us as his grandparents, but I can't stand by and let anyone, even you, put him into a firing zone like this. Let's go!" She turned to Bobbie, "You'll let us know of any changes, won't you?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
The three watched as Alan and Monica continued elsewhere, noticing that Alan would always toss a look behind his shoulder. Carly sighed, "Thank God I got out of that family in time."  
  
Bobbie was once more saddened by her daughter's performance. "That could have all been avoided if you would have just told them the answers that they were looking for, Carly."  
  
"I do not have to tell those people anything, mother!" Carly sat on a chair, "I do not want them in my son's life. You know what they're like. They take people and taint them with their greed and snobbery. I can't let that happen to my son!"  
  
"They were concerned about a child, Carly!" Bobbie responded, "The same way you or I would be if we knew that a little boy wasn't feeling well. Michael is loved by so many people in this town, those that are our family and are not. You shouldn't be so hostile towards those that are only acting human."  
  
"He shouldn't have attacked Sonny," Carly muttered.  
  
"I know," Bobbie agreed, "Alan's always been prone to lashing out if provoked enough."  
  
"Where is Sonny at, anyway?" Carly glanced around the room and saw that her husband had slipped out sometime during the heart to heart between mother and daughter. "I should go look for him."  
  
"He's not going anywhere," Bobbie said, "Sonny won't leave Michael alone. We both know that."  
  
Sonny had indeed stepped away from the crossfire. Thinking very little of his dispute with Alan he focused on the matter at hand. He pressed a speed dial on his cell phone that instantly transmitted its signal to Courtney's. She was inside Sonny's home, rocking Morgan as he slept in order to keep him even more docile. When the phone went off she reached over to the table that she had put it on and answered the call, "Sonny?"  
  
"I need you to do me another favor."  
  
"Sure, what is it?"  
  
"Call Damian and tell him to come here as soon as he can."  
  
Courtney was confused, "Why do you want me to call him?"  
  
"I've got an idea to help Michael and it involves him."  
  
"Shouldn't you call him?"  
  
"I can't," Sonny replied, "I can't take the chance of him not believing me and thinking it's another one of my lies. Please, Courtney, you're the only one that even has a chance of getting him over here. Do you need his number?"  
  
"No, I have it saved." She adjusted Morgan's blanket, "I'll call him right away."  
  
"Thanks," Sonny closed the phone and walked towards Michael's room again. He was playing a gambit, but he hoped that it would work in his favor. It was the only idea he had at the moment.  
  
Kelly's Diner-  
  
Elizabeth noticed Damian coming down the stairs. "How was your 21st?"  
  
"Horrible."  
  
"At least you can remember it," She coyly commented, "A lot of people end up thinking it never happened."  
  
"Believe me, I'd love for last night to never have happened."  
  
She felt bad for him. Everything was going downhill fast. But then that was what often happened to people whom got involved in the life of Sonny Corinthos. The worst part was that Damian was an unwilling party in Sonny's life. The lost son looking for acceptance and finding nothing but wall after wall in his way. Her heart went out to him. "You need an ear to yak at?"  
  
"No thanks. Last night is better kept between myself and the parties involved."  
  
"I wish I could make it better."  
  
"You're not the only one." His phone began to ring and he picked it out of his pocket. The number read 'Courtney'. His first instinct was to not answer it, but Courtney was there for him after the incident with Kyle. She wasn't his father. It wasn't fair to her that he should treat her differently. "Courtney?"  
  
"Damian," Courtney had placed Morgan in his crib, "Where are you?"  
  
"Kelly's, why?"  
  
"Your father wants you at the hospital."  
  
Damian turned away from Elizabeth, "Is something wrong?"  
  
"Michael's in there."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"I don't know. Something psychological. He's not talking to anyone, he can't talk anymore." She wished she could give him more, but she didn't have anything else to tell him.  
  
"When did this happen?"  
  
"Only a few hours ago. Please, if you can make it over there-"  
  
"I'm already on my way, Courtney." Damian closed the phone. "Michael."  
  
Elizabeth wasn't purposefully eavesdropping, but she was only a few feet away, "What's wrong with him?"  
  
"I'm going to find out," Damian hurried out of Kelly's. 


	37. Desire

Notes: Remember, I'm not posting anything for the next two days. Story will resume on Monday. Reviews, of course, will be accepted throughout the weekend. Because, you know, I do love me them reviews. Yessir.  
  
Sarah- Thank you for continuing to read and enjoy this story of mine. Any feedback is always appreciated.  
  
Shamira- Look, you're getting a chance to catch up! Glad to see that the problems with the computer appear to be fixed and all, although I am sorry that you had to take your leave so early, so as not to anger the mother. It is understandable. As for the fast updating, well, I won't apologize for that. Joke. Ah, yes, I am looking for a damned good reason to have Damian pick up a glass and throw it against the wall, just like daddy. Alas, that moment hasn't worked its way into the planning, at least not yet. I never did like chemistry as a subject, labs bore me.  
  
Story-  
  
General Hospital-  
  
The elevator ride was painfully long. Damian found himself constantly cursing silently and wondering how many floors the blasted building truly had. It was as if it was somehow sensing his distress and making sure that the wait was made even longer, just so he could worry some more. It was strange, but he'd be lying if he said he felt like it was impossible. Port Charles was a much more complex place than he ever thought it would have been. He never would have expected this small little burg to have problems that could put the metropolis of Los Angeles to shame. Yet, somehow, Port Charles had indeed managed to do such a thing. As he stood there watching the numbers on the elevator going up at a snail's pace he couldn't help but think that this could all be some ploy. Sonny could have instructed his sister to call Damian and get him to the hospital. Michael would have been nothing more than his pawn. The thought sickened Damian to his stomach. He didn't want to believe that Sonny would use Michael like that, but Sonny had proved to be a man that would do anything for the ultimate goal of his own personal satisfaction. He put a bullet through his wife's head. Accident or not, it showed that some part of Sonny was possessed with making sure that everything went his way. Consequences be damned if anything got in his path. He'd make his own assumption once he saw how Sonny was handling the situation.  
  
Finally the elevator reached the floor that he was waiting for. As the doors opened he saw Maxie at the station. The fact that she was there meant nothing to him at that moment, however. All that mattered was seeing Michael and finding out what had happened. He did not have any idea where the boy was, and Maxie was the best source of information that he had access to at that moment. Within seconds he had made his way right in front of her, "Maxie."  
  
She turned his gaze upward from the papers that she had been siphoning through, "Damian? What are you doing here?"  
  
"I'm looking for Michael," Damian informed her, "He's apparently been here a few hours and I want to see him."  
  
Maxie nodded, "Children's center is down the hall, just take a left." He started towards the direction that Maxie had given him. She walked to the other end of the station to speak with him again, "You have any idea what is wrong with him?"  
  
"Not a clue."  
  
"Well, if it's any help, I would have heard something if it was critical. I didn't even know he was here."  
  
"Sonny might just be wanting everything to stay as quiet as possible," Damian said. His father more than likely had enough enemies that would gladly take the chance to strike Sonny in one of the few places that it would do real harm. Michael was one of those areas.  
  
"I don't think so," Maxie replied, "This is a hospital, Damian. We treat all our patients equally regardless of who they are or who they are the children of."  
  
"I need to make sure everything is all right," Damian started down the hall again.  
  
"I hope it is!" Maxie called out as he turned the corner.  
  
Georgie appeared from behind her sister, having returned from her own rounds throughout the hospital. "So, that's the mystery man?" Maxie wasn't responding to her voice. "Maxie?"  
  
"Yeah, that was him."  
  
"And you didn't even bother to introduce us," Georgie gave a mock pout.  
  
"He was in a hurry. Did you know that Michael's in the hospital?"  
  
"Carly's son?" Georgie wondered. "No, I didn't. I hope everything is fine."  
  
"So do I," Maxie mused. "He seemed really worried about Michael. But he's not living with them anymore, so it doesn't make any sense that he's here."  
  
"He cares about Michael, doesn't he?" Georgie asked.  
  
"Of course he does."  
  
"Well that's the only reason he needs," Georgie stated. "His little brother is here and he cares about Michael a lot. From what you've told me about him, I don't think that he'd let something as petty as an argument with Sonny Corinthos keep him from being with Michael right now."  
  
"I think I should go check, just in case."  
  
Georgie shook her head, "That isn't your job, Maxie."  
  
"So?"  
  
"So you don't want to overstep your boundaries. You're going to be here for a few hours longer. If he wants to talk with you, I'm sure he'll find you and talk with you."  
  
Maxie turned away. Boundaries or not, she'd check up on everything if she felt that she needed to.  
  
Elsewhere-  
  
Carly was standing outside the room with her mother. Sonny had requested that he have some time alone with Michael. If anything, Michael looked up to his father more than anyone else. He was at that age where a boy's father could apparently do no wrong in the eyes of his son. Plus, Michael was much angrier with Carly than he was with Sonny about the situation with Damian. Bobbie was just there for support. She was on duty, but unless there was a crisis situation the others knew that they shouldn't bother her. Michael was a large part of her world. A gift that touched her soul that she didn't deserve. She had seen people come out of much worse than the situation that Michael was in at this hospital. She believed that the doctors here would help Michael with whatever problem he was having. She only hoped that her faith wasn't blind.  
  
"Carly," Damian walked up. "Where is he?"  
  
Carly gave her stepson a cold glare, "You came?"  
  
"Michael's in the hospital, why wouldn't I come?"  
  
"You don't seem to care about your father very much at the moment," Carly reminded him.  
  
"Whatever problems I am having with Sonny have nothing to do with Michael." Damian was visibly angered by Carly's comment. "I wouldn't drag an innocent third party into a problem of my own. I suppose the same can't be said for you."  
  
"Right now isn't the time to be squabbling amongst yourselves!" Bobbie demanded, "A little boy was traumatized because his family life went to shambles and you both can't get over your petty differences for him?" Bobbie was focusing on Carly. She knew that her daughter had the ability to press people's buttons, and she would constantly use them. "He's inside the room behind us, Damian."  
  
"Thanks," Damian replied as he walked past Carly and closed the door.  
  
"What are you doing, Carly?" Bobbie asked, "You can't keep acting like this around him, not right now."  
  
"We don't even know if what Dr. Lewis said is the problem."  
  
"But it's the best we got right now!" Bobbie stated, "We don't know anything else and the only treatment that Cameron gave us was working together to help him." Bobbie grabbed her daughter's hands, "Please, Carly, I'm begging you, don't let your feelings put your child at risk."  
  
Carly was silent, she only looked over her shoulder at the closed door.  
  
Michael's Room-  
  
The boy was asleep again. Everything that had happened to him since he had woken up hours before took their toll and he couldn't stay up any longer. Damian walked on the opposite side of Sonny. "How is he?"  
  
"He's taking everything that's happened to him pretty well, considering that he doesn't know why it happened and we don't have anything other than an educated guess."  
  
"Thank you for having Courtney call me," Damian sat down.  
  
"You had a right to know," Sonny said. "And I didn't think that you would believe me if I made the call myself. Would you have?"  
  
"I really don't know, Sonny."  
  
"The doctor that examined him said that the only reason he could think about for this is that Michael's having a hard time dealing with everything that's happened in the past few days. Most pressing is the fact that you moved out so suddenly."  
  
"This is my fault?"  
  
Sonny shook his head, "I didn't say that."  
  
"But you think it is."  
  
"No, I don't," Sonny stated. "If I wouldn't have lied to you about my past, you would have never left and Michael would still be running around the penthouse playing with his trucks or with that game boy of his."  
  
"Why isn't Carly in here with you?"  
  
Sonny looked at the door, "I wanted to be alone with him for a bit."  
  
"Is that the only reason?"  
  
Sonny debated telling Damian anything. Within a few seconds he realized that there was no harm in informing his son. "We haven't exactly been seeing eye to eye since you left."  
  
"Because of me?"  
  
"It's a lot of things that we've got on our minds. Michael, before we brought him here, was blaming us for what happened with you. Most of all, he was blaming Carly. He knew that she didn't like you at all."  
  
"So he doesn't know why I really left?"  
  
"No," Sonny responded. "He doesn't."  
  
Damian got up, "I'm going to get something to drink. You need anything?"  
  
Sonny shook his head, "No." Damian walked out of the room. With his oldest son out of sound's reach, Sonny finished his thought, "But having my family together again would be nice." 


	38. Simplicity

Notes: Didn't go on the trip again. Family and making up their minds are two seeming impossibilities. But, I said I wouldn't post over the weekend, so I didn't post over the weekend.  
  
Shadow- If you're not feeling very well you don't need to review my stuff, I don't care how much you like my story, health comes first. Still, I am glad you are enjoying. The continued support is greatly appreciated.  
  
Shamira- This could take a long time, but that is okay. As always, excellent to have you back on the review team. At first I was kind of weary about doing the two weeks ahead thing, but having ALL of the stuff happen that has happened so far and is going to happen in the future within the span of like five days seemed a little too stupid, even for soaps. Besides, the angst is more angst-like if it's given time to burn. I believe it would have lost some of its impact if it had been Damian's there one day and gone the next. Plus, you're right, they would never get the time alone. I'm all for the empowerment of Maxie! As for the Robin/Robyn thing, I believe Maxie is Robyn Richards, and Skye is Robin Christopher (and Lydia was J. Robin Miller, or J. Robyn Miller), but if that's not true then switch them around. One of them spells the name with a 'y.' The hate for the Alky is so hard to understand, I love the Alky. Granted, he is a crazy mother, but I still think he's cool. Besides, the good villains you're supposed to hate. And, since you hate Alky in my story, too, I guess I'm doing a good job. I've come up with a fan name, granted, it's actually LONGER, but I think it works: Daxamilian. Damian and Dillon will be spending time with one another soon enough. I've had to wait awhile, but I want to write their dialog, it could be amusing. The last line of the chapter was a good cliffhanger, wasn't it?  
  
What can I say? I specialize in angst, it's the best thing to write. The other S/C of GH is indeed a supercouple all itself. Super-siblings would be the best term. I agree with you, my love for Courtney is hard to tell these days with her flaunting all over Brian, who needs to die. Please die soon. Damian's angry, but he is indeed much more sorrowful over what he lost, and what he thinks he can never regain. I didn't really think of Sonny's past as a subtext to the Michael stuff, but I guess I just got really lucky and it worked. Yay, original character plus established character chemistry! It wasn't very hard, but it was a long process.  
  
The journey is great, so very great. Jason's a character with plenty of layers, but he really only shows so few, because he's not supposed to be open about anything, it goes against being Jason. That doesn't mean he still doesn't have those emotions, which makes him a lot of fun to write, at least for me. I don't much like these 'aw' moments, but if you like them, then all is good. Michael's reaction to Carly was intended. Nothing would hurt her as much as her own child getting angry with her, not even Sonny. Sonny's angry, partly at Carly, because he does feel that she was a very big part of him leaving, even if he knows he was the bigger factor. Ah, the kiss. I couldn't just do them thrusting into each others arms and making passionate suck face right out of the box, could I? Well, I could, but that isn't who Damian is as a character. It took him off guard, and with the situation he was in at the moment, he was very scared.  
  
That chapter was supposed to be the shortest chapter, but also one of the most important. It's supposed to provide a crux as to who Damian is as a character. His hatred of the faith that lied to him, his insecurities over his own life. The piano was a nice touch, and it got him playing it again. Which will come into play at least one more time.  
  
I will say this about Michael to anyone who asks: The boy is a whole lot smarter than he seems to let on. Plus, kids are actually making very complex thoughts in their own ways. You're right, everyone does judge Sonny, but can you blame them? I'd judge Sonny, too. But that's what makes Jason such a strong confidant. I don't really get those vibes from Liz on the show, but I've only been watching for such a small time, so I don't know for sure.  
  
Jason/Faith scenes are so much fun to write. Faith's so very uppity and Jason's just Jason. You're right, how can scenes with the two of them not be great? And I just realized that I skipped a chapter, so we'll put two in one paragraph. The Georgie/Maxie moment was there because they hadn't really had very much time together since the whole 'I don't want you to die' thing that was a few chapters back. Plus, it got Maxie to admit her feelings for Damian, and confide in someone about how she feels that she did something wrong. I'm just systematic like that. Oh! And the Zander thing on Friday made me think of a way to incorporate the two of them into this. It should be up by the months end. Faith's involvement with Damian was also planned, because she'll have a bigger part soon enough. Back to the other chapter. In that chapter I let out a lot of foreshadowing, look for it!  
  
Story-  
  
Some things never changed, regardless of where you were in the United States. One of those things was that hospital food, by nature, was extremely distasteful. Even that which was deemed edible to the public looked like it had long since passed on the expiration date. Much to his relief, Damian wasn't there to eat anything. He somehow doubted that they could mess up a can of Pepsi. But anything was possible. It wouldn't surprise him if they managed to make salad distasteful. Still, he'd take his chances. He grabbed a can and paid the person at the register. He sat down on one of the chairs and popped it open. One thing struck him as odd. Sonny was his blood father. Michael was his adopted brother. Yet, he recognized Michael as his brother, and did not recognize Sonny as his father. It was a strange feeling, but at the very least part of it extended to Michael's youth. He was normally so happy and full of exuberance. It was something that Damian looked at with fondness. Michael was the exact opposite of what he was when he was a young boy. It was like looking into a mirror and seeing an opposite reflection on the past.  
  
"This seat taken?"  
  
"Maxie," Damian smiled, "Of course not. Please, have a seat."  
  
She returned the smile and sat down, "How is he?"  
  
"He was sleeping when I saw him. We still don't know what's wrong with him, not exactly."  
  
"Well, what do you know?" Maxie asked, being as supportive as she could be.  
  
"He can't talk," Damian informed her, "It's like that part of his brain shut down and he can't remember how to speak. They think that it's because of," He was quiet, he didn't like admitting this to himself, "Because of me."  
  
"What do you have to do with any of this?'  
  
"I left. I didn't give him any explanation. I didn't even say goodbye. I knew he would take it badly, but if I had known that it would have sent him to the hospital." He didn't say the rest, it was implied more than enough.  
  
"You needed to leave," Maxie grabbed his hand, "You didn't feel safe there anymore and it was for your own sanity that you left that place."  
  
"Still, if I had known that it would have cost this much."  
  
"Would you have stayed?" She asked.  
  
"I, I don't know."  
  
"Even if this is your fault, which it might not be, you had no way of knowing what would have happened. Don't blame yourself for this. Michael's going to recover, and you're going to be there helping him as much as you can, right?"  
  
He nodded, "I'll do anything I can to help him."  
  
"Even move back with Sonny and Carly?"  
  
That stopped him. It might take that step to help Michael as much as he could. But could he do it? Could he return to that house full of lies and a stepmother who hated him? Even for Michael, would he make that sacrifice? With a heavy heart, he knew the answer, "I couldn't do that."  
  
"Let him know that, Damian," Maxie advised. "Let Michael know that you still care about him a lot, but you can't bring yourself to live around him right now. As long as he knows that you're going to be there for him when he needs it, I'm sure it will help him plenty."  
  
"You really think so?"  
  
"Well, I'm no doctor, but I'd say it's a pretty strong hunch."  
  
He laughed, "Thanks, Maxie."  
  
She giggled with him, but her mood quickly returned to the tone of somberness that she was feeling. "Listen, about the other night-"  
  
"I'm sorry about that."  
  
She shook her head, "You don't need to be, it was my fault. I shouldn't have kissed you."  
  
"I shouldn't have pushed you out."  
  
"I took advantage of you," She said. "I went over to comfort you and instead acted on something that I wanted."  
  
"You wanted it?"  
  
She blushed slightly, "Of course I did. What did you think?"  
  
"I thought you just felt sorry for me," He answered. "I've never really had many people outside of my grandparents that even pretended to care about me. I guess I'm just not used to it."  
  
"You're not mad at me?"  
  
"Of course not," He placed the now finished soda on the table. "I just didn't know what to do."  
  
"There you are!" Georgie came up from the other side of the room. "What are you doing here?"  
  
Maxie looked up, "I'm on my break."  
  
"Funny, so am I."  
  
Maxie rolled her eyes, "Since when?"  
  
Georgie sat down on the chair next to her, "Since now."  
  
"Don't you usually spend your breaks talking to Dillon?"  
  
"He's watching his favorite black and white movies right now. I don't like calling him when he's watching them."  
  
"Georgie!" Maxie exclaimed, "He knows all the words by heart, he's watched them hundreds of times!"  
  
"Maybe I just wanted to spend some time with you. You are my favorite sister after all."  
  
"I'm your only sister!" Maxie noted that Georgie was acting like the typical little sister instead of acting like the mature motherly figure that she was much more accustomed to. She didn't like it.  
  
"Exactly!" Georgie knew she was being annoying, but it wasn't at Maxie's expense, it was to protect her.  
  
"Can't you see I'm busy?" Maxie tried to appeal to her sense of dignity.  
  
Georgie gazed over at the guy on the other end of the table, "You don't mind that I spend some time with my big sister, do you?"  
  
Damian grinned, "Of course not."  
  
Maxie sighed, the impartial third party had just become partial to Georgie. "Georgie, this is Damian. Damian, this is my little sister Georgie."  
  
Damian shook her hand, "Pleasure to meet you."  
  
Georgie smiled, "Likewise." When she took her hand away from his she continued to put her plan into action, "So, you're the one that she's been talking about for a few weeks?"  
  
"Georgie!" Maxie kicked her sister from under the table.  
  
"What?" She rubbed her leg, "You do talk about him a lot."  
  
"All of it good, I hope," Damian was amused by the sister's and their antics.  
  
"Wouldn't you like to know," Georgie replied coyly. "I want to thank you for helping her when she needed it."  
  
"There is no thanks necessary, Georgie. I saw that Maxie was being harassed and I wasn't going to let it happen. I'd have done the same thing if it had been you in her place."  
  
"So you weren't in the slightest taken by my sister's beauty?" Georgie asked.  
  
"Georgie!" Maxie almost shouted.  
  
If Damian had any soda in his mouth he would have spit it out. Instead he was only able to muster up a very long lag time of uncomfortable silence. Georgie continued the assault, "I asked you a question!"  
  
"To be honest all I saw was someone in trouble, Maxie's physical attractiveness was the furthest thing from my mind at the time."  
  
"But you do think that she's pretty, right?"  
  
Damian got up, "You know what, I think I'll go and see if Michael's up yet." It was a diversionary tactic, and a damned good one, "Thank you for the advice, Maxie. Georgie, I'm sure we'll speak again."  
  
"Oh, you can be sure of that," Georgie agreed, trying not to sound hostile. "Until next time." She watched as Damian rushed away, obviously a bit faster than he would normally walk. "Maybe he isn't gay."  
  
"What the hell were you doing that for?" Maxie's voice was like a drum in Georgie's ear. "You had no right attacking that poor guy like that, especially not right now!"  
  
"I just wanted to see how he reacted to the hard questions," Georgie said. "You know that if Mac sees him, things are going to be much worse than what I was saying."  
  
"Why would Mac ever see Damian?" Maxie asked.  
  
"It's so obvious that you're smitten over that guy, Maxie!" Georgie grabbed her shoulders, "If you want to go out with him, Mac's going to insist on meeting him. He'll be harder on Damian than he ever was on Dillon. Dillon might be a Quatermaine, but Damian is Sonny's son."  
  
"I don't have feelings for him!" Maxie shouted.  
  
"You don't have to hide it from me, Maxie. I want you to be happy with someone. I was watching you for a lot longer than you thought. The way you were helping him with Michael's dilemma, giving him advice from your heart. You couldn't do that with someone unless you cared about them." Georgie hugged Maxie, "I'm so happy that you have genuine feelings for someone."  
  
Maxie pushed her away, "Even if I do, which I'm not saying is true, what makes you think he does?"  
  
"Only one way to find out."  
  
Maxie cocked an eyebrow, "And what would that be?"  
  
"Ask him."  
  
Maxie laughed, "Is it supposed to be that simple?"  
  
Georgie rolled her eyes, "Is it supposed to be more complicated? You like the guy, I'm pretty sure the guy likes you. Ask him if he does, if he does, go and do something together. Not very complicated."  
  
"I can't just ask him that!"  
  
"Give me one good reason why."  
  
"Because," She struggled for a reason. It popped into her head soon enough, "Michael. He's worried about Michael, the last thing he needs is me asking him about his feelings towards me."  
  
Georgie thought about it for a moment, "Are you sure about that?"  
  
"Relatively."  
  
"I still say you should ask him," Georgie said as she started walking away. "Our break is over."  
  
"Yeah," Maxie mused. She wasn't entirely sure, could it really be that simple? 


	39. Painful Past

No New Reviews (I was spoiled over the weekend, I know).  
  
Story-  
  
Children's Wing-  
  
Carly had her jacket wrapped around her shoulders like a blanket, her eyes closed. Bobbie was sitting next to her, occasionally taking a look at the daughter that she had once given up and was now fortunate to have in her life again. Throughout the good and the bad, Bobbie and Carly had forged a very strong bond as mother and daughter. Michael was a big part of that, and Morgan was as well. Bobbie could only wonder what was going on in Carly's mind. What she was dreaming of. She wasn't exactly the most open of people with her personal problems, and even when she did open it, Bobbie was one of the last people she told. She would most often confide in Jason or Courtney. It bothered Bobbie somewhat, but at least she knew that Carly had some friends that she could count on to help her through any problems that she might have had. Carly also knew that she could come to Bobbie for anything, Bobbie would always be there for her, even when she didn't want it or realize it. Damian saw Bobbie and Carly sitting down in the chairs by the door. Carly sleeping was something that Damian took particular note of. She couldn't yell at him, look at him with scorn, or make distasteful quips if she wasn't awake. At least, he hoped she couldn't. But if there was a woman that would find a way to toss around insults, even while she slept, it was Carly Corinthos. Bobbie took one last look at Carly and got up, heading toward Damian. "I want to thank you for coming."  
  
Damian shook his head, "You don't need to thank me, Bobbie. I happen to care a lot about the little boy that's not exactly himself inside that room. You couldn't keep me away from this hospital."  
  
Bobbie was glad to hear that they had made such a strong bond in such a short time. "Still, I know how harsh Carly's been on you."  
  
Damian smirked, "She doesn't get that feline attitude from you, does she?"  
  
Bobbie grinned, "I don't know about that. I'd say she inherited it from me, actually. I used to be a bit of a hellion in my time. Now, I save it for special occasions."  
  
"I'm not entirely sure I want to be there when it comes out."  
  
"As long as you stay out of my way, you should come out unscathed. Look, Damian, don't be too hard on Carly. She's just protective of those that she loves. In time she'll get better about everything."  
  
"Everyone tells me that," Damian commented, "But it seems like everything I do sets her off the deep end. It's getting to be that the only thing I can do that might appease her is lick her boots clean with my tongue."  
  
"Have you tried that?"  
  
"I won't sink that low for anyone, Bobbie."  
  
"Stubborn," Bobbie observed, "That's probably why you and she butt heads so much. She doesn't back down very often, not when she feels that she has a point."  
  
"Neither do I."  
  
"It's a shame the two of you couldn't have started out as friends," Bobbie grabbed his hand. "But in time, if you can give her the time that she needs, I know that everything will turn out better. She just needs to see how much Michael really loves you, and how much you bring into his life. Carly might be a stubborn fool a majority of the time, but nothing makes her change her mind quicker than seeing her children react to a person."  
  
"I've never been openly hostile towards Carly." He stopped himself and thought about it for a second, "Okay, I haven't been openly hostile towards Carly most of the time. I've tried to be nice, I've tried to stay away, I've tried and tried and tried, every time I got nothing in return except for a cold eye. If she wants to get rid of me she's going to have a much harder time than she expects, I don't intend on going anywhere soon."  
  
"Just remember what I told you, okay?" She requested, "And, right now she's going to be even more protective about everything with Michael's condition."  
  
"So I can expect multiple belittling on a daily basis," Damian groaned. "Great, just what I wanted."  
  
"I'll stop her from being too mean," Bobbie winked. "How's that sound?"  
  
"Best offer I've got so far," Damian smiled. "Excuse me, Bobbie, I'm going to check on him."  
  
"Wait, Damian," She called out softly, stopping him at the door. "Carly might not think of you as family, but I do. If Michael accepts you as his big brother, that's all the proof I need."  
  
Damian gave a sad smile, "Too bad you're not the one that I need to prove myself to, Bobbie. But thanks."  
  
Sonny appeared to not even have moved a muscle since the last time Damian saw him. It was heartening to see Sonny so protective of his son. It didn't change the past. "He still asleep?" Damian asked.  
  
"He hasn't even moved a muscle since you left."  
  
"Is that bad?"  
  
"No, I don't think so." Sonny got up and looked out the window, "I'd give anything for him to ask me for a new toy, or a puppy. I'd give him the world if I thought it would help him get his voice back."  
  
"You're his father, Sonny. You are his world."  
  
"A part of it, at least," Sonny replied bluntly. "Carly, Bobbie, Jason, Mike, Courtney, Morgan, you. We're all the most important people in Michael's life, but some of us can't see eye to eye and it's hurting the boy a lot more than he let on."  
  
"Some things can't be helped."  
  
"What is it going to take?" Sonny asked, "A new car? A wing donated to the hospital in your mother's name?"  
  
"See, that's where you're wrong about me," Damian sneered. "I don't give a damn about your money, about your power, about your dynasty. The only thing I came here for was to find my father and grow close to him. It was a failed experiment."  
  
"We hit a snag."  
  
Damian shook his head, "What we hit was much more than a snag, Sonny. It's like we're separated by something the size of the Grand Canyon."  
  
"I've apologized for that."  
  
"And I've accepted your apology," Damian told him. "I know that you genuinely feel sorry for lying, but that isn't enough. If you cared about our relationship you would have been honest from the start. For all I know you could be holding plenty of other secrets from me."  
  
"Just one," Sonny muttered.  
  
Damian didn't exactly hear him, "What was that?"  
  
"I'm only holding one other secret from you, Damian." Sonny sat on the chair again, "One that I think you're going to take harder than my life."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"About me and your mother," Sonny was struggling in his mind. A part of him was saying not to tell Damian anything, but that was the same part that told him to keep his life a secret. "How we met, why we did what we did."  
  
"Why would that be so hard for me to accept?" Damian asked.  
  
"Because it would prove to you that I'm not the one that's been telling you the big lie in your life."  
  
"Sonny, tell me."  
  
"Your mother," He stopped himself. "Your mother was presented to me as a bargaining chip."  
  
"Presented to you?" Damian was stunned, "Like she was poker chip?"  
  
"It wasn't really to me," Sonny said. "The man I was working for at the time wanted to settle an old rivalry that he had started when he was much younger in Los Angeles. There was a reason that he had to get out of that city. The group that was headed by Elias Zuniga."  
  
"My grandfather?"  
  
Sonny nodded sadly, "In his day, your grandfather had his own little crime ring going on in the Los Angeles area. At its height it was plenty powerful, probably at a level with my own. But what my boss didn't know was that the regime had crumbled. Elias had left the life behind him when he met your grandmother. My boss didn't care and we went to the city. We were going to stamp out your grandfather. There wasn't much he could do. He was older and didn't have anyone working for him anymore. Elias was about to die when his daughter came out of the house and pleaded for us to stop. At first my boss didn't seem to care that he was beating down someone who wasn't even in the game anymore. But then something hit him, he had an idea. Elias was a proud man then, he'd sooner give up his own life than his families. My boss bargained with Ana, saying that he would let them all live if she presented herself to one of his underlings. He picked me."  
  
"You," Damian stopped, "That can't be true."  
  
"What good would lying to you now do me, Damian?" Sonny asked. "You already don't trust me, you already hate me. What could I possibly have to gain from shattering your perceptions of your grandfather at this point?"  
  
"And you just let this happen?" Damian wasn't sure what to believe, he needed more.  
  
"I couldn't deny an order without risking my life and the lives of your grandfather and mother. True, at the time I valued my own life more than theirs, but I wasn't going to let myself die. A big part of me didn't want to do it, but it happened. After that we left. Your grandmother had apparently turned your grandfather into a very religious man. He was crushed at the fact that your mother had been devirginized before being wed. My boss got the victory that he wanted. Instead of a quick death he got a lifetime shame."  
  
A single tear ran down Damian's cheek as he thought about what Sonny was telling him. He motioned towards the door again, looking for an escape. Michael had woken up and saw Damian leaving. He pointed a finger at Damian. "Damian," Sonny called out.  
  
Damian turned around and saw Michael. Now that Michael was up, if he left, what would the boy think? 


	40. Something To Remember

Shadow- Yes, Bobbie/Damian developing more of a relationship was indeed fun, The whole mob past on his mothers side was planned since the beginning, but I had to give it big build up, 39 chapters enough for build up? It is a good thing that Sonny told the truth, too bad his credibility is shot to hell and back.  
  
Story-  
  
Kelly's-  
  
Ric smiled from the window of the diner where his ex-wife worked. A big part of him hated that she felt that she needed to work in order to support herself. She was an artist, her hands were supposed to be used in order to make beautiful paintings that would stun the world. Instead she spent her days washing dishes, cleaning tables, waiting on the common people. Ric would have gladly paid her living expenses in order to give her the time that she deserved to dedicate on her artwork. He had made the offer before, even after the divorce, even when they weren't on the best of terms. She never took him up on the offer, though. Elizabeth was a proud woman, she wouldn't just up and take charity from Ric. He respected that part of her. In fact, he loved that part of her. He loved every part of her, except for the part that hated him. But he accepted that part of her, knowing full well that he had done plenty to deserve her scorn, and he had done nothing to gain her forgiveness. Yet, he had that, and he would constantly say thanks to whomever it was that orchestrated the turnabout in her attitude towards him. When she was obviously taking a few minutes for a break he walked in. Elizabeth heard the bell chime. She looked up and grinned, "I was wondering when you were going to stop staring at me and come in."  
  
Ric laughed, "You saw me?"  
  
"More like felt you," Elizabeth commented, "Let's just say that I've grown accustomed to the feeling that you give off when you're watching me from afar."  
  
"I'd do anything to feel that I didn't have to constantly watch you from a distance," Ric grabbed her hand. "Anything at all."  
  
"Ric," She spoke softly. "You don't need to keep doing this to yourself."  
  
"I'll never be worthy of your love."  
  
Elizabeth turned her eyes onto him, "I beg to differ on that opinion."  
  
"Elizabeth," He moved his head towards hers and gave her a brief kiss on the lips.  
  
She blushed a bit as he pulled away, "Did you come all this way just to give me a kiss?"  
  
"You didn't like it?"  
  
"I didn't say that," She joked. "I loved it. But, I'm just wondering if there was another reason that you came."  
  
"Would you be hurt if I said there was?" Ric asked.  
  
She shook her head, "I'm not your life, Ric."  
  
Ric disagreed, "You're wrong, Elizabeth. You are my life. You're my reason for getting up in the morning and going on with my life. But, you're right, I didn't just come here to see you. I'm actually looking for that nephew of mine."  
  
"Damian?"  
  
Ric nodded, "We got the autopsy on Kyle's body back recently, it proves that he didn't have anything to do with Kyle's death."  
  
"I told you that he wouldn't," Elizabeth remarked.  
  
"And I believed you," Ric reminded her. "But at least this way he knows that he doesn't have to worry about anybody from the Police Station harassing him about it anymore. We know that Sonny had nothing to do with it, which puts his son in the clear as well."  
  
"They're two entirely different people, Ric," Elizabeth quickly pointed out.  
  
"I know that," Ric stopped himself. "Wait, did you change your mind?"  
  
"Of course not," Elizabeth answered. "I'm just saying that they're not alike at all. Damian does things that Sonny would never fathom."  
  
"Like helping people," Ric commented bitterly.  
  
"Ric, don't start."  
  
"Sorry," Ric closed his eyes, "Old habits die hard, I guess."  
  
"But they do die," Elizabeth patted his hand. "At some point, they do die."  
  
"I'd still like to tell Damian the news."  
  
"I wish you could," Elizabeth stated. "He's not here right now, though."  
  
He could tell that there was a certain sadness in her voice. "Do you know where he is?"  
  
"The hospital."  
  
"Is he okay?" Ric asked.  
  
"Yeah, he is. But Michael's not."  
  
"Little Michael?" Ric had an idea that it was the youngest Michael, but there was still Sonny and his father who shared the name. Granted, Sonny almost never used his birth name unless he was being arrested and put on trial for something, but it was still his. When Elizabeth made a sound that confirmed his guess Ric pressed on for information, "What's wrong with him?"  
  
"I wish I knew, but it doesn't really seem like anyone knows what's wrong. Not even Sonny and Carly."  
  
Even at his worst, Ric's quest to destroy Sonny didn't necessarily pass to the young boy. He had traumatized Michael enough when the boy saw him kidnap his mother, and it only heightened his grief when no one would believe him, save Jason. Ric still found himself concerned for the health of Michael. He wouldn't dare go over and check for himself, though. That would cause more hostility than anything. Sonny, Carly, Jason, Courtney, Bobbie, Mike. All the people that were close to Michael absolutely hated Ric, they likely wouldn't let him anywhere near the boy. He'd have to find his own way of keeping updated with his adopted nephew's condition. He knew ways, although he wasn't all that happy to admit that he did. He turned to Elizabeth, "If you see Damian before I do, please give him the news." Ric started to walk out, but stopped, "And, tell him that I truly hope everything with Michael turns out for the best."  
  
"I know you do, Ric," Elizabeth said. "And I will."  
  
Children's Wing, General Hospital-  
  
Damian walked back to the bedside, a genuine smile for Michael, despite his inner feelings towards Sonny and the revelation that he had just made, on his face. He was happy to see Michael's eyes open, happy to know that Michael knew that he was here for him. "Hey there, kid. You know, you're giving us all a really big scare right now. Try and get better as quickly as you can, okay?"  
  
Michael nodded his head softly before turning to Sonny. Sonny grinned, "I told you that he'd come to see you."  
  
"Don't ever think that I won't be here for you, Michael," Damian said. "No matter what's going on in our lives, don't forget that you can count on me for anything."  
  
"Mommy's outside," Sonny told Michael. "You want to see her?"  
  
When Damian saw Michael nod once more he started on his way out, "I'll tell her, I need some time alone anyway." It was quickly made apparent that the young boy didn't enjoy the idea of his older brother leaving so soon. It couldn't be helped, Damian really couldn't be around Sonny, and if Carly was in the room as well then the possible bickering that would likely ensue just wasn't worth anyone's time. But Damian wouldn't let Michael think that he was leaving again. This time he wanted to make sure that Michael knew he'd still be around. Damian brought his hand up behind his neck and unlatched a carefully concealed necklace. It was almost always hidden under his shirt, he doubted that Sonny even knew about it. For a second he looked at the clumped up chain in his hand and smiled. He stretched it out again and put it around Michael's neck, clipping it in the back. "If you ever think, even for a second, that I don't care, just feel that around your neck and know that I do."  
  
Sonny looked at the chain, "What is that?"  
  
"An heirloom passed on to me before," He stopped himself. Sonny got the implication. "It's been my good luck charm ever since, but I'm not the one that really needs it right now." Damian looked down at Michael, who was busy looking at the craftsmanship and the fact that it was very sparkly. "I'll be back later, Michael. I promise."  
  
Outside, Carly was haunted by nightmares. Nightmares of her children hating her, of her failing as their mother. "Carly?"  
  
She stirred, "Sonny?" When she opened her eyes and saw that it wasn't her husband she sighed, "Oh, it's you."  
  
"He's awake now. He wants to see you."  
  
"Where are you going?" Carly asked.  
  
"I'll be around," Damian answered cryptically. "Carly, I know you have a very low opinion of me, and I won't even try and change that, but I want you to realize something. Michael loves you no matter what you do. He might be angry at you from time to time but it doesn't change the fact that you're his mother. Let him know that you love him more than anything and that he can come to you no matter what. Spend time with him, as much as you can."  
  
"Michael knows how much I love him," Carly said.  
  
"It never hurts to hear it over and over, Carly. Believe me," Damian said sadly, "I know. I'd give anything to hear my mother say it to me, even one last time. Don't throw this time away, Carly. It will only bring regret." Carly turned away and walked into the room. Damian walked down the hall, "Nothing but regret."  
  
Carly smiled at Michael as she walked into the room, "Hey there, Michael. Did you have a nice nap?" She walked closer to him and grabbed him in her arms, breaking down as she felt the embrace returned, "I love you, Michael." She moved her hand up his back and felt the necklace around his neck. She turned to Sonny, "Did you give him this?"  
  
"No, Damian did."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Sonny shrugged his shoulders, "His reasons for doing anything are his own, Carly. Michael likes it though."  
  
Michael smiled, a wide and warming smile. Carly returned the gesture, "Yeah, I guess he does." 


	41. Sacrifices For A Child

Notes: Again with the no reviews, so we'll just get straight into the story we shall.  
  
Story-  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
Jason walked into Sonny's house. When he saw that Courtney wasn't at their own home across the hall, he had a feeling that she would have instead walked over to Sonny and Carly's. If she wasn't there, then he would call her cell, but for now he wouldn't waste time on the phone unless it was needed. The guards weren't at the door, which wasn't unusual, but at times it could be rather discomforting. He didn't see her anywhere in the living room. "Courtney?" He yelled, in case she was around and heard someone open the door. She could handle herself, but if it came down to it, she would sacrifice her life for Michael and Morgan, and that would mean putting her in unneeded danger just to protect them.  
  
Courtney walked down the stairs, holding Morgan over her shoulder. She was grateful to see her husband. He had business to take care of over the night, so he wasn't with her very much the day before. It was mostly like that for them. She loved Jason, but hated his work. "I tried calling you!"  
  
Jason frowned, "The phone's been acting weird all night, I didn't mean to miss it."  
  
"I'm just glad you're here."  
  
"Why?" Jason asked. "Is everything all right?"  
  
Courtney shook her head softly and sadly, "No, Jason. Everything isn't."  
  
Now, Jason Morgan found himself going through a feeling that he, at times, was accused of never having: worry. Courtney looked to be in perfect health, which filled him with some relief, knowing that the most important person in his life wasn't the one in danger. But that still left the others. "What is it?"  
  
"Michael," She said. "He can't talk."  
  
Jason was confused, "What?"  
  
"If I had more to tell you I would. All I know is that he woke up this morning and couldn't say a word to Sonny and Carly. They thought he was playing around at first, but it became obvious that he wasn't."  
  
"Did they take him to the hospital?"  
  
Courtney nodded, "Yeah, they checked him in, too. Just for examinations, hopefully they'll be able to give us answers soon."  
  
Jason turned away, "I'll go find a specialist if I have to."  
  
"Jason!" Courtney called out, "Don't do this. Don't run away from what you're feeling right now. I know you want to help, but you want to help in a way that doesn't involve you being attached emotionally. You can help a lot more by being there at Michael's side instead of running around looking for a solution."  
  
"I don't like hospitals," Jason muttered. "And I don't like it when they don't have any answers for the questions that I have. Courtney, I've been through that before, and I let it affect me in ways that it shouldn't have. I let them tell me that there was nothing I could do to regain what I lost, and even though it ended up being true for the most part I still carried that doubt in my mind. Michael's got plenty of other people at his side right now. He doesn't need me."  
  
"The last thing we need is your running around the world looking for a specialist, Jason. What if you go into one of the territories ran by Sonny's enemies? What if you end up getting hurt halfway across the world and we don't know how to get in touch with you? We've got enough to worry about right now, worrying about you would only make everything worse." She grabbed Jason's arm, "Are you sure you won't go?"  
  
"I can't," Jason replied. "Not right now."  
  
Courtney handed him the baby, "Fine, if you won't go be with him, then I will. Watch Morgan until someone gets back, please." Courtney walked over and grabbed her purse, "Jason, if you're feeling anything for him right now you need to be open with it. None of us are expecting you to brush something like this off. You raised Michael like he was your son for a bit, and it's easy to see that the attachment is still there."  
  
"I'm not his father, not anymore."  
  
Courtney closed her eyes sadly, "I know. But even if his mind can't remember it, I'm sure his heart does." Courtney opened the door, "If you feel the need to go see him, please call me and I'll watch Morgan again. At least give it some thought, Jason."  
  
"I can't make any promises, Courtney." Jason replied.  
  
"Do you ever?" She closed the door behind her and walked over to the elevator. She wasn't happy with her husband at the moment. She wasn't mad at him, he had strong feelings for Michael, but even stronger feelings that stemmed from the time he spent being helpless and looked down upon like a medical anomaly. She was disappointed that Jason couldn't put away his past for even a minute and just be there for his family. They weren't the Quatermaine's, they were a strong family unit that did function a considerable amount better when they weren't separated. Jason was a part of that family, through marriage and more importantly through love. Courtney took one last look at the door, hoping that he would come out and say that he wanted to go. When the elevator chimed and its doors slid open she gave up all hope. She walked inside the elevator and pressed the button to bring it down to floor level.  
  
General Hospital-  
  
He wondered how long he had been in that hospital. He didn't have an answer, the minutes and the hours all seemed to blend together. Not that it mattered, he would stay there for as long as he needed to, if only to help Michael. He was tired, all the stress was beginning to effect him. A part of his mind cried out for the bed at the apartment, but he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.  
  
"You look really tired."  
  
Damian spun around, "Maxie? You're still here?"  
  
She smiled, "I do volunteer here."  
  
"I know that, but I wasn't aware that you had such a long shift."  
  
She turned away, "Actually, my shift ended two hours ago."  
  
Damian was surprised, "Why didn't you go home? Do you need a ride?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Is something wrong at home? Are you afraid to go back?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Are you waiting for your sister to end her shift so you can go home together?"  
  
"Georgie got off at the same time I did," Maxie informed Damian.  
  
"Then why are you still here?" Damian asked.  
  
Maxie again faced Damian, her eyes looked at his, "For you." She sat on one of the nearby chairs, "With everything that you're going through with Sonny and Carly, and now Michael's condition as well, I just figured that you might need a friendly shoulder."  
  
"You didn't need to do that, Maxie." Damian sat next to her.  
  
"I know, but I wanted to." Maxie grabbed his hand, "You're not like anyone else that I've ever met, Damian. You don't try and make people shape themselves to your liking. You've turned a horrible personal tragedy into an ongoing quest to help people from going over the same pain over again. You're someone that shouldn't have to feel helpless like this, because you deserve so much better."  
  
"That's very kind of you, Maxie. I really do appreciate it."  
  
"What I'm trying to say is," She stopped herself for a second. "I like you." She laughed at herself, "This is so juvenile. I'm an adult now, I should know how to tell people that I care about them."  
  
Damian chuckled, "You just did."  
  
Maxie blushed, "Yeah, I guess I did."  
  
"You want to know something?" Damian inquired. "When your sister asked me those questions earlier-"  
  
"God, I wanted to slap her so hard!" Maxie declared, still less than happy with Georgie's act in the cafeteria. Her heart was in the right place, though.  
  
"I left because I didn't really know what to say," Damian finished. "Maxie, I never really had any friends, and I certainly didn't have any girlfriends. So, I don't really know how this whole thing goes."  
  
"Let me make it simple for you, then," Maxie said. "Do you like me? And I mean not like me as someone that you can count on as a friend, but someone that you can see as growing close to, closer than you would most people?"  
  
"That wasn't simple," Damian said smugly.  
  
"Just answer the question."  
  
"Yes, Maxie, I like you." Damian shook his head, "You're right, though. This seems like a really bad after-school special. I'm waiting for someone to come up and explain what we're doing."  
  
"That doesn't really happen," Maxie mentioned. "At least, I hope it doesn't really happen. With my luck it would be my dad, and he'd blow his top."  
  
"Would you have stayed here to be with me even if you didn't like me in that strange and complex way?"  
  
"Probably. I mean, you helped me without knowing who I was. I could only return the favor."  
  
"You wouldn't need to return anything, Maxie. What I did that day was what anyone would have done."  
  
She shook her head, "I don't think so. A lot of people really don't like throwing themselves in the middle of other people's problems."  
  
"I was raised to help people when they needed it," Damian stated. "There was nothing else to it." He grabbed his neck and winced.  
  
"What's the matter?"  
  
"Nothing," He answered. "Just sore."  
  
"You should go get some rest," Maxie suggested.  
  
"I'm not leaving," Damian said defiantly.  
  
"Well, what about school? I know it's only Saturday, but don't you have things that need to be done before you go back?"  
  
"It can wait."  
  
"Damian, this is your dream that you're talking about."  
  
"I know," Damian said. "But it's early in the semester, I can make up assignments if I need to. I just can't leave him again."  
  
Maxie was astonished by his dedication to a person that he had just met several weeks ago. But a bigger part of her was still worried about his schooling. "Are you sure?"  
  
"Some things are more important than becoming a doctor, Maxie. Michael has to be my top priority right now."  
  
"You amaze me, you know that."  
  
Damian grinned, "With my boyish good looks and guy next door attitude?"  
  
Maxie ignored the joke, "You want me to stick around?"  
  
"You've been here for most of the day, Maxie. Besides, don't you have another shift tomorrow?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Damian got out of his chair and helped her up, "Get some rest. If I need someone, I'll call."  
  
"Anytime, okay?" Maxie stated.  
  
"Anytime," Damian hugged her. 


	42. What You're In For

Note: Having watched yesterday's episode, I must comment that I am SO very thankful that I'm writing the GQ together, I miss them being a unit. Plus, Maxie's being all uber-bitch, which is totally understandable, but it made me go 'wow' when thinking of the differences between the story and the show itself. See how much an original character can stir things up? Plus, she mentioned Kyle, keep him away, or bring him back and kill the bastard. That is all.  
  
Shamira- Yup, Zander and Faithy be the best to write, it helps me break away from the angst with a heavy dosage of dark humor. Heh, I don't very much like it when they get into fights, actually. I mean, it's entertaining (I was cheering when she and Skye got into it that one time), but overall, I like my Faith nice and not beat up, she just looks so much better, don't you agree? Besides, Courtney could kick her ass six ways to Sunday, being all Judo master Courtney and stuff. I, too, am in love with the way they're doing Jason at the moment. It gives him (gasp) emotion! When they were talking about how he stepped aside so that Sonny could be Michael's father. Such things crushed me. Now I see why he won best supporting actor last year. Also, you're correct, the best thing on the show is Jason/Carly aside from the really good Brian/Courtney 'you're a loser who has been using me!' stuff. I want Brian dead. Of course, I want lots of other people dead, too. As far as the phone went, I was wondering about that myself. I suppose he took Sonny's phone? And then put it in his pocket because he's stealing. Yes, I'm aware that won't work, but it's the best excuse I got at the moment. I'll use a variation of a line that you gave me: If Sonny and Carly didn't hit so many bumps in the road, it wouldn't be a soap, would it? I don't know if everything will turn out okay, though. I mean, look at the supreme super-couple. Laura's crazier than Carly and Luke can't be with her. Doesn't look all that happy to me.  
  
Shadow- I can finally make Damian/Maxie a frontburner in my story where a large chunk of writing it involved getting them together. Isn't that great? Jason's reasons for not wanting to go to the hospital, I think, are understandable, but that little side-story isn't quite done yet. As always, thanks for the praise and the review.  
  
Much like Damian before her earlier that day, Courtney found herself very bitter at the elevator and the fact that it decided to crawl up the stories to the place where Michael was at a pace that was akin to that of snow melting on the south pole. She was also alone, without Jason there to comfort her. Or, more precisely, without her there to comfort him. This would have likely been one of those rare situations where she was the stable one, assuming Jason let his guard down, even for a second. It was unlikely, but Courtney found that a part of her wanted it to happen. She knew of the warmth that existed within Jason's heart, but there were times when it seemed to evade even her. She paced the small elevator area impatiently and almost found herself screaming for it to hurry up when the device finally did reach its destination. The doors opened in their usual cold, lifeless, mechanical way. She shook her head and seriously gave thought to complaining about the elevator's lack of speed. The thought quickly faded from her mind, however, when she saw her nephew embracing someone a few feet away. At first she couldn't tell who it was, and the blond hair almost made her think that it might have been Carly, but that seemed as unlikely as anything did at the moment. When Damian did release his hold on the girl in question, Courtney saw that it was Maxie Jones. She smiled as she walked forward, "Damian?"  
  
Damian turned towards her, "Courtney? I thought you were watching Morgan."  
  
"Jason's filling in for me," Courtney responded with a tinge of sadness. "I wanted to spend some time with Michael." She moved her eyes towards Maxie, "Hello, Maxie."  
  
"Hi, Courtney," Maxie responded. "I'm really sorry about Michael."  
  
"I think everything will turn out fine with him," Courtney was full of hope, even though there was a small part of doubt welled in her soul.  
  
"I feel that, too," Maxie agreed. She adjusted her things, "I should really get going. Mac's probably worried sick about me."  
  
"You didn't tell him that you were staying at the hospital for a few extra hours?" Damian asked.  
  
She shook her head, "It wasn't the important thing for me at the time." She knew that Damian got the implication. She waved at them both before heading towards the elevator.  
  
"Watch it work just fine for her," Courtney muttered.  
  
Damian grinned, "It was giving you issues as well?"  
  
"I thought I was the only one."  
  
"You're not," Damian stated. "I've had decades go past faster than the ride up here. Maybe I should have taken the stairs."  
  
"What were you doing with Maxie?" Courtney asked.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I saw you two hugging when I walked in."  
  
"People hug, Courtney," Damian said defensively. "It's a fact of life."  
  
"I thought it might have been something more."  
  
"I care about Maxie a lot. And she cares for me, too. She stayed here even after her shift ended just because she wanted to be sure that I was fine with everything that's been happening."  
  
"It's nothing more than that?" Courtney wondered, her voice very shallow.  
  
"I don't know," Damian moved his head about uneasily. "I care about her more than I would a regular friend, I think." He eyed her, "Why does it matter to you, anyway?"  
  
Courtney was taken back by the question, "Why would you ask that? We're family, and I thought we were friends. I just want to see you happy."  
  
"Sorry," Damian replied instantly. "That just came out wrong."  
  
"You know it won't be easy."  
  
Damian sat back down again, "What won't be easy?"  
  
"Having a relationship with Maxie Jones," Courtney didn't want to deter the relationship. But she couldn't let Damian go into it blind. "Her father is the police Commissioner."  
  
"We've met," Damian said. "He didn't seem like he was a bad person. Actually, he was pretty grateful for the help I gave her."  
  
"And he'll always be grateful for it, Damian. But the thing is you weren't dating one of his daughters at the time. Mac's very protective of both Maxie and Georgie."  
  
"I can handle myself," Damian said.  
  
"There's more," Courtney pointed out. "You're Sonny Corinthos's oldest son."  
  
"Illegitimate son who's barley known the man for under a month!" Damian countered. But he realized where she was going with the point she was making. "You're trying to tell me that Sonny's life is going to hurt my relationship with Maxie, aren't you?" Courtney turned away. It was all the proof Damian needed, "I don't care what Mac thinks about my father, Courtney. I'm my own person and I will not allow myself to be judged based on his merits, or severe lack thereof. We're nothing alike."  
  
Courtney laughed, she couldn't help it. It felt good to be amused by something at that moment, where everything else looked extremely grim. It was obvious that Damian would have no idea why she was laughing so hard. She took a breath and stopped. "Sorry, I was just giving what you said some thought. Believe me when I say that if you're expecting Mac Scorpio to not take into account the fact that Sonny is your father, you're going to be sorely disappointed. I know that you're nothing like Sonny. You know that you're nothing like Sonny. Maxie knows that you're nothing like Sonny. And, in the off chance that Mac himself knows the same fact, it still won't matter. When it comes to the girls Mac's prone to tossing out any and all logic that he's gained throughout his life. No one will ever be good enough for his daughters, not in his eyes."  
  
"I'm not looking to impress Mac," Damian bluntly pointed out.  
  
"Neither is Dillon, and Mac still doesn't like him being around Georgie."  
  
"I'll deal with that when I come to it."  
  
"You'll have to," Courtney said, rather cryptically. She started walking down the hall, leaving Damian alone again. 


	43. Seeking Out Information

No New Reviews-  
  
Story-  
  
The time still continued to pass without a hitch. There were no answers, only a whole lot of questions. Damian still had not gone back into the room to be with Michael, he couldn't bring himself to face Sonny again. He was avoiding a confrontation. He seemed to be doing that more and more these days. As if being in this town had taken away the part of him that wouldn't let anyone tell him what to do and how to do it. He had lost his way in Port Charles. He should have never come to that place. It cost him more than he ever thought it would. Yet he made the choice, knowing of the possible consequences, or at least what he thought could happen. Granted, he never thought that things could get this hectic. He wanted to leave. Give up on everything that he thought had value in his life. Start over. But he couldn't. There were people who cared about him, and he realized that. He wasn't the type of person that would let others suffer for his own shortcomings. Courtney, Bobbie, Maxie, Elizabeth, Michael. Leaving them all without anything, not even an explanation, wouldn't be fair. He'd stay, putting their happiness ahead of his own. It was the only way he could stay. He didn't believe Sonny's story. He didn't believe that his life had been such a huge lie. But was it more disbelief, or denial? He didn't know the answer to that. He doubted that he ever would. His grandfather had always been such a kind and caring person, the best man that he had ever met before in his life. Elias was the perfect person, always willing to help other people if they needed it, giving them the shirt of his back if they needed it. But there was a life that was led before Damian was even thought of. People had entirely different lifestyles before they became parents. If they let the responsibility sink in, they became changed people. Elias, was he one of them? Was he really a mobster before he fell in love? Before he became a father? When Michael was well, Damian would find a way to get the answers he needed. He wouldn't call them up, it wasn't the type of thing that was asked over the phone. 'Hey, Papi, have you been lying to me my whole life? Were you really a hell-raising mobster back in the day?' That certainly wouldn't go over well if it were asked over the phone. Let alone the fact that Damian could tell when his grandfather was lying to him. As long as he saw the man's face. There was no amount of denial that could change the truth, especially if Damian saw it. He was getting ahead of himself, though. His problems weren't important, Michael was.  
  
"I didn't expect that I'd find you here, Mr. Zuniga. I would have much rather pictured you inside your brother's room with the rest of your family."  
  
Damian turned around and saw the man, that strange man that always appeared when he wasn't expected. "Mr. Alcazar, right?" Damian asked, still unnerved at the man and his strange tactics.  
  
"That is correct." Lorenzo smiled.  
  
"Please, call me Damian. Mr. Zuniga is something that people reserve for my grandfather."  
  
"If you insist."  
  
"I do."  
  
Lorenzo nodded, it wasn't the reason why he was at the hospital anyway. "How is young Michael?"  
  
"How do you know my brother?" Damian asked.  
  
"Carly and I are acquaintances." Lorenzo delivered the line with a baffling straight face. But he wasn't going to throw away the advantage he had. If Damian was not yet aware of his activities and how they were often intertwined with Sonny's expenditures, more power to him.  
  
Damian was wondering how Carly could be so critical of him, but even be friends with someone that was as shady as Lorenzo appeared. He concluded that she must have been cursed with incredibly low standards of anyone that wasn't named Damian Zuniga. But the answer was acceptable, he had no reason to believe that Carly wasn't friends with him. "Did she tell you of Michael's condition?"  
  
Lorenzo chuckled, "No, she did not. I found out through other means."  
  
Damian cocked an eyebrow, "Are you always so cryptic?"  
  
"It is not my intent to be cryptic, Damian. I can assure you of that. My apologies for leading you to believe that I am."  
  
Damian shook his head, "No, it's my fault. I've just been really stressed today. I should be the one to apologize." He stopped for a second. "Michael's condition hasn't changed at all since they brought him in this morning. We don't have any idea what's going on, but we're all still here."  
  
"It would be wise of Corinthos to make sure that his son had around the clock protection."  
  
"Why would he need that?" Damian wondered.  
  
"Surely you cannot be blind towards your father's activities on a daily basis, Damian. Sonny has a lot of enemies, and his child being vulnerable like he is right now makes Sonny all the more open for attack."  
  
"They wouldn't," Damian said. "They wouldn't drag Michael into a war that they have with Sonny, would they?"  
  
"I'm afraid they would," Lorenzo informed him. "You see, in the world that Sonny has found himself thrust into there is no code. Anything can be used for leverage, anything at all."  
  
"Like a virgin daughter?"  
  
"I suppose so," Lorenzo quickly concurred. Seeing that Damian was busy thinking about the information that had just been given to him, Lorenzo changed the subject. "If I might ask a question of you?"  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Why have you not responded to my offer? I don't mean to rush you, but I could use your talents in my line of work. I'd even be more than willing to pay for all your school expenses."  
  
Damian was shocked, "You do realize how much medical school costs, don't you?"  
  
Lorenzo grinned, "Money is of no concern to me. I have more than enough. What I look for is loyalty, and information. We don't have very many employees who are trained in the ways of medicine. You could be of a great help to me, once you became properly educated." Lorenzo pressed on, "Or has your father already stated that he will pay for everything as well?"  
  
"I try not to be a charity project for anyone," Damian snapped. "Not my father, not you."  
  
"I can assure you that my involvement in your education would not be a charity. It would be the exact opposite." Lorenzo brought out his checkbook, "I would never expect you to pay me back in cash, but you would provide me with an invaluable service. You would repay the debt to me in your own manner, while still making a considerable about of money for your assistance." He took out a pen as well, "All I need is for you to say that you accept my offer."  
  
Damian shook his head, "That's very kind of you, Mr. Alcazar, and I appreciate the offer more than you could imagine, but I've got a lot on my mind right now. As much as I hate to admit it, Medical School isn't a priority for me right now."  
  
"Your brother will feel better before you know it," Lorenzo stated.  
  
"I don't doubt that, but there is a lot more that's going on inside my head. I still want to be a doctor, but I don't know if I can do it."  
  
"You can do whatever you set your mind on, Damian. You have endless potential."  
  
Now Damian found himself even more unnerved by Lorenzo being around. "How can you be so sure?"  
  
Again Lorenzo played Damian for a fool, "I've just been known to have a very good sense of character."  
  
"Like hell you have!" Both turned over and saw Mike Corbin coming towards them. "You sick, demented criminal, get away from my grandson!"  
  
"Hello, Mr. Corbin." Lorenzo said.  
  
Mike was disgusted within seconds, "Look, if you don't leave right now, I'm going to call the police."  
  
"For what?" Lorenzo wondered. "For coming to a public hospital and talking to your grandson with plenty of witnesses?"  
  
"You're going to use this against Sonny like you do everything else!" Mike almost shouted, but didn't want to make that big of a scene.  
  
Lorenzo sighed, "I had hoped that we could be beyond our petty differences for the health of your grandson, it looks like I was wrong."  
  
"The only people who need to care about Michael are his family! Not the people the try and break that family apart." Mike got close into his face, "Leave."  
  
"My offer still stands, Damian," Lorenzo walked off, not taking the elevator.  
  
"What was he talking to you for?" Mike asked.  
  
"We were just talking. He wanted to know about Michael."  
  
"Never tell that man anything about our family!" Mike ordered. "That's Lorenzo Alcazar."  
  
"I know who he is," Damian replied.  
  
Mike shook his head, "No, you don't. Because if you did you wouldn't have told him a thing. Damian, that man kidnapped Carly from the room that Ric put her in and held her hostage on a yacht. He's fallen in love with her and has been stalking her since he came here. He's a criminal."  
  
"Just like Sonny?"  
  
Mike jerked his head back, "My son might have his flaws, but he isn't anywhere near as bad as Lorenzo."  
  
"So, he's a mobster?" Damian asked.  
  
"Yeah," Mike replied. "He's a mobster." Before he had a chance to blink, Damian walked past him. "Where are you going?"  
  
Damian didn't answer his paternal grandfather. He'd tell Mike later. Right now he needed to catch up to Lorenzo. He walked as fast as he could without running, soon enough he had caught up. "Mr. Alcazar, please wait."  
  
Alcazar smiled and turned around, "I wasn't expecting you to have an answer so quickly."  
  
"I don't," Damian said. "I've got a question for you."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Elias Zuniga," Damian said the name of his grandfather. "Does that name mean anything to you?"  
  
"Should it?"  
  
"He's my grandfather," Damian informed him. "I want to know if his name means anything to you, or people like you."  
  
Lorenzo thought about it, and he did have an answer. "When my brother was starting up in this craft of ours, that name had some prominence. It had quickly fallen out of the cycle, though."  
  
"And what does that mean?"  
  
"Usually that the person has been killed, or is at least no longer a factor in the overall workings of our business."  
  
"But, he was, at one time, in the mob?" Damian was speechless, struggling for those small words.  
  
Lorenzo nodded, "That would be the likely conclusion. I would have thought you'd have known."  
  
"I didn't," Damian turned around. "Thank you for the information."  
  
As he made his way back to the lobby he saw Mike and Sonny talking to one another. They both turned when they saw him. Sonny was furious, "What the hell were you doing, talking to Lorenzo Alcazar!" 


	44. Sleeping Over

Note: From hereon in I'm going to be putting a page number at the bottom of the story just to let me know where I'm at, because I've gotten lost a few times. Plus, it will let you know how much you've read, which might be an accomplishment, or show how pitiful it is. One or the other. I'm joking.  
  
No New Reviews-  
  
Story-  
  
"What I do with my time and who I associate myself with is none of your concern, Sonny," Damian sneered. He didn't trust Lorenzo Alcazar either, but the man had information that he wanted, and he'd do just about anything for it.  
  
"The hell it doesn't!" Sonny was irate. Subconsciously his mind's eye wandered, looking for a glass to throw. It took a great deal of will to resist the urge to actually find something and fling it. "You're my son, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let you be around people like that!"  
  
"Thanks, Mike," Damian muttered at his grandfather.  
  
Mike put his hand on Damian's shoulder, "This is the right thing for you to do, Damian. You shouldn't be around Lorenzo or those like him."  
  
"Then maybe I should leave right now," Damian said. "But where am I going to go? The only other place I go back to is home, and from what you've told me it's just like that in Los Angeles!" "What's he talking about?" Mike asked Sonny.  
  
"Tell you about it later."  
  
"No," Damian shook his head. "Why don't we tell Mike right now, Sonny? I mean, it's not like he won't find out eventually. And, unlike some people, I like to be the one that tells family directly about things like this."  
  
Sonny was getting even more maddened by the minute. "How long are you going to hold that over my head?"  
  
"Probably as long as you've held your abandonment issues over Mike's head, if not longer. I grew up in the 'Dynasty' era, trust me when I say that I know how to hold a long-standing grudge!"  
  
Sonny turned around and walked away. If he stayed around longer, arguing with Damian, odds were that one of them, if not both, would end up doing something that they would regret. The last thing Sonny needed at that moment was to add yet another item to the ever-growing list.  
  
Mike sighed, "You shouldn't have done that."  
  
"Come off it, Mike!" Damian ordered. "You make it seem like I can only talk to one organized crime lord and get away with it."  
  
"I wasn't talking about that," Mike said softly. "Using me against Sonny. There's not much other than bad blood in our past."  
  
"I've heard the story."  
  
"Have you also heard how much I regret doing that to my son? How many times I thought about getting back into Sonny's life, but couldn't because I didn't want to do the same thing that I did the first time. I didn't think that Sonny would just accept an apology from me, so I stayed as far away from him as I possibly could." Mike wiped away the beginnings of a tear, "If I had just given it a try, and really attempted to know my son, not as the little boy that I left, but as the man that he had become, maybe things would have been different between us."  
  
"We don't have a relationship like that," Damian said in reference to him and Sonny. "You knew that he was alive, and you didn't care. He didn't know that I was."  
  
"Do you know that he would have been there if he did?"  
  
"I know that he said he would be. But I don't believe it."  
  
"How can you not?" Mike asked. "How can you not think that man is one of the best fathers alive? Look at him, Damian. Take a good look at Sonny, and how much he cares for Michael and Morgan. That was the first time he left Michael's bedside since he was checked in, and how long ago was that? At least half a day. Tell me that isn't dedication. Tell me that you can't be impressed by the fact that Sonny cares so much about Michael that he would do anything to help him."  
  
"I am impressed, Mike. Really, I see how much Sonny loves his sons, and it makes me happy. But we can't have that, can we?"  
  
"Why can't you?"  
  
"Because we come from different worlds." Damian stopped himself, "Or, I thought we did."  
  
"What are you hinting at?"  
  
"My past, my family's past. They were just like Sonny is today. He told me. They were mobsters, people who made a life out of crime." Damian placed his face in his open hands, "I come from a life that was dedicated to crime, Mike. My father, my mother's father. Every time I turn around, someone is telling me something about my life that I never wanted to hear. One minute it's that my mom's going to die. Then that my father is alive and here, in Port Charles. Next is that my father just happens to be one of the most powerful men in the upper northeast, and I don't mean the strongman contest. Now people are telling me that crime runs through my veins no matter what? I can't take that."  
  
"Are you saying that you can't be here?"  
  
"I'm saying that I can't continue to be around this life unless something else goes, and the only choices are my morals or Sonny's life. I know I won't give up my beliefs, and I somehow doubt that Sonny will just give up doing what he does."  
  
"He's given up everything to be with Michael," Mike pointed out.  
  
"That's short-term."  
  
"Can you be so sure?"  
  
"Michael's going to get better!" Damian said. "I can't believe you would even think something like that. He's your grandson!"  
  
"I'm just trying to be a realist right now, Damian," Mike said sadly. "I've seen people recover from trauma before, and a lot of times they come out just the way that they were. But Michael isn't like a lot of people. He's a little boy who understands way too much about life for someone his age. He might never get his voice back, because everything might have become too much for him."  
  
"I won't let him stay like that."  
  
"How are you going to help?" Mike asked. "You're not a doctor yet, they won't listen to you."  
  
"I don't need to be a doctor to help the people I care about," Damian said defiantly.  
  
"And Sonny doesn't always need to be a mobster. He's capable of being a loving, compassionate person. And he's very capable of being hurt by people that he cares about rejecting him. Like you just did."  
  
"I didn't mean to make him that upset, Mike. But I can't just throw away everything that's happened."  
  
"This might sound extremely harsh, and in a way it's meant to, but if you can't curb your grudge with Sonny, then you shouldn't be here. You're not helping anyone by constantly yelling at your father." He looked out the window, "You're certainly not helping Michael."  
  
"You want me to leave?" Damian asked.  
  
"I don't want you to, no. I want you and Sonny to get along, and I want my grandsons, who I care about all very deeply for, to have the best possible health."  
  
Children's Wing, General Hospital-  
  
Sonny still hadn't gone back into Michael's room. He needed time to himself. It wasn't that he loved his son any less, that would never be possible, but he was at ends with himself. Why couldn't he ever keep himself from ruining the few good things that he had in his life? Lily died because of his life. He couldn't save Stone. He had to give up Carly's first baby in order to save the life of the woman that he loved. He almost killed her and Morgan because of his jealousy over Alcazar. And now he had severed the relationship with his adult son. There wasn't anything that he could do to salvage that. The damage had already been done.  
  
"I shouldn't have said that about you and Mike, Sonny. I'm sorry. Really, I am."  
  
"I don't need your pity right now."  
  
"You're not getting my pity," Damian said. "You're getting a genuine apology from your son. Can't you just accept that for what it is? We'll always have our differences, but that's all that they should be, our differences. Not ones caused by you and Mike, ours alone. We're all on edge, and we're all tired. You most of all. I know you hadn't left his side until you saw me."  
  
"And I don't intend on doing it anytime soon," Sonny said.  
  
"Go home, Sonny."  
  
Sonny laughed, "You're giving me orders now?"  
  
"Why would I do something like that?" Damian asked. "No, I'm giving you a suggestion. You and Carly have been here all night long. You've had people coming in and out. You need a break."  
  
"I can sleep in the chair next to him. I don't want to leave him alone."  
  
"You won't be, I'll stay."  
  
Sonny turned around, "You will?"  
  
"I've pulled all nighters at hospitals before plenty of times. Besides, my back could use a reminder to be thankful for the softness of a bed when opposed to the cold hard hospital chairs."  
  
"This isn't like with your mother, he won't die."  
  
Damian nodded, "I know he won't die. I won't let him, not for a long time."  
  
"I don't feel comfortable leaving him," Sonny stated.  
  
"He'll know that you'll come back in the morning. If he wakes up, I'll tell him. Promise."  
  
"Why are you doing this?" Sonny asked. "Ten minutes ago we were at each others throats."  
  
"And I'm sure that we'll play that game again, but we're forgetting that the most important thing right now has to be the boy that is in that room over there. I did it once, and I feel like the most insensitive person on the planet because of what I said to you." Damian walked towards Michael's door, "This doesn't change anything, though."  
  
Sonny nodded, "I know it doesn't."  
  
Getting Carly to leave her son at the hospital proved to be a difficult task. She didn't want to leave Michael, not that anyone could really blame her. To her credit, she didn't throw a fit until she got her way, as she was prone to doing. Even more amazingly, she actually succumbed to the pressures that everyone else was giving her. She was tired, everyone was. It would have been neigh impossible for her to have left had she known that it would be Damian that was going to stay with Michael for the night. For obvious reasons, she was made unaware of that decision. Bobbie covered as best she could. She still had a job to do, and she'd still be at the hospital for some time. Under the pretense that her mother would be watching Michael for the night, Carly left with Sonny. They had been at the hospital for over twelve hours, and they would be there longer if they needed it.  
  
Courtney stayed around for a few more hours, not having been there as long as the others and still wanting to make sure that Michael was fine. It wasn't that she didn't trust Damian to watch over Michael, because she did. The big worry for her lied in the fact that Jason couldn't be there for reasons all his own. She wanted to spend as much time with Michael so that she would, in a small sense, make up for the time that her husband should have been spending with his nephew. Besides, seeing Michael happy, even if he couldn't say that he was happy, filled her with a sense of confidence in the fact that somehow everything would turn out to be fine. Before she left she made sure that Damian knew he could call her if anything happened, or if he just needed someone to switch shifts with him. Mike left with her.  
  
When everyone was gone Michael's mood shifted from gleeful to a much more somber tone. That glisten in his eye faded, like a child opening a new present. Damian noticed the change and sighed. "You won't be alone, Michael. I promise you. They'll all be back tomorrow, they just need some rest." Michael grabbed a nearby notepad and scribbled something on the blank page, handing it to Damian. It read 'Why didn't you go?' Damian put the pad on his lap, "Someone should be with you overnight. Hospitals can be a very scary place, especially when you're all alone. I know, I've spent my fair share of nights in hospitals." Damian's mind flashed back to when he was much younger and much more innocent. "When my mom was checked into the hospital, I almost never left her side. I missed a lot of school, but I didn't care. I know she appreciated it, but she was really out of it for a long time when she was there. I'd try talking to her, trying to make her laugh, but she would just stay there with her eyes open and not answer me. It was like her body was there, but she wasn't. Even though she was there physically, and I could see her just by looking over at the bed, I felt alone. I've never felt that scared before in my life, and I don't want you to go through it if I can stop it from happening at all." Michael reached for the pad again, Damian handed it to him and waited. When Michael was finished he passed it over. 'What about school?' Damian shrugged, "I can make up classes if I have to. There are enough doctors in the world right now that they can wait for me to become one as well. I'm much more needed with you." Michael yanked the pad as a sudden thought hit his mind. When he passed it back to Damian he looked a bit worried. Damian looked at the pad 'Are you mad at me?' Damian put the pad on the table again and sat on the edge of the bed. "Michael, this isn't your fault. We don't know what's wrong with you, but it's something that will get better in time. I know you didn't mean to end up here, I know you didn't mean to make us all worry. We're not mad at you, none of us are. We all just want you to get better." Michael reached for the pad, but Damian stopped him, "The best way for you to get better is to get rested up. Try and get some sleep, okay?" Michael nodded and closed his eyes. Damian got up from the bed and grabbed a nearby magazine. It was going to be a long night. Every time he was in the hospital, they were always long nights.  
  
202 


	45. The Visit

Note: Just thought I'd mention that the story has gotten so long that word won't show me any spelling errors anymore, it says I made too many. Of course, this version of word refuses to accept most of the names as legit words, so it's not really my fault. Stupid outdated programming.  
  
Shamira- Hey, look! You're only 4 chapters behind now! Does this not fill you with a sense of accomplishment? It's a good thing you reviewed so much, too. It makes this chapter here look longer than it really is, heh. Damian's grandmother is indeed all wise and sage like, but then against most grandmothers are. At least until they end up going crazy from old age. As for the Sonny thing, it was entirely spur of the moment. I wanted the chapter to be longer so I was thinking of a way to make it longer and that's when the idea hit me. Most of what I write is planned out in my head, but from time to time things become entirely spontaneous. Among others that have so far been written are Kyle's death and the visit to the Cellar on Damian's 21st. There are some more, but they haven't been posted yet, and that would ruin the surprise. They're coming up, though. So you don't have to wait too long.  
  
Your hatred for Lorenzo is amusing, it really is. I understand why you don't like the man, he is a bit much with his ways. I still like him, but it is indeed that love to hate him thing. As for Faith, she's a snappy uber- bitch, she would indeed have a comeback for everything. That's what makes her so much fun to write, even I don't exactly know what she's going to say, I just have her say it. From what I've seen on the show, Sonny can cook, and enjoys cooking. Granted, I don't think I've ever seen the kitchen, but that doesn't mean it isn't there. I've seen food come out of that general area, so the kitchen must be over there! I loved that episode with the toys, too. It was funny. "Hey, Jason, you know how to get in touch with Santa?" Ah, Sonny, you funny. Plus, it gave Faith a small sense of dignity, which I liked. Rich people bribe their children into loving them, I'm pretty sure that's a fact of life. Of course, it doesn't look like Michael can answer them, even if he wanted a car.  
  
I do love it when I can surprise my reviewers with my plotting ways. Yes, Michael's really unable to talk. Your speculation is pretty much right on the money in some ways, although I didn't think that Michael would do it just to get his brother around again. I'm sure Shadow is thankful for your words of congratulations as well.  
  
Ah, the part where I put in the classic Quatermaine's. It was forced, don't get me wrong, but it was forced for a reason! Damian's going to be a doctor, or at least he wants to at this point in time, and they're like the chief doctors in the Hospital. He's going to meet them sometime, it might not ever get written, but it's going to be implied. They were yelling at Sonny, without Damian around, because it gave them something to do. I can't work with all 30 something characters that are on the show, nor do I want to work with all of them, but I do feel bad that they can't all have little moments. Besides, it made sense for them to want to know about Michael, because they are indeed his paternal grandparents. I'm sorry that things didn't pan out the way that you would have liked, but that is how these things work. It would have been good, though, I will admit that. I agree with you about Courtney, she needed to be the one to call in order to get him there. Actually, Carly could have called, but she never would have because she's Carly and she's being stupid. Elizabeth's role is small, but very vital to the story. Surprising, isn't it?  
  
Yes, PC is the abyss, in a good way. You know this, I know this, and everyone else with half a brain knows this, but Damian does not. He had to find out for himself, the hard way. Poor boy. The lack of awkwardness was indeed because of Michael. Damian's there to see his brother, not Maxie. I'm sure he doesn't mind seeing Maxie, I wouldn't mind seeing Maxie, but his chief reason is what takes priority. Maxie's reaction towards Michael's condition and Damian's adjustment to it shows that she's really starting to care about the guy and becoming a more mature person. And I'm glad you like the fanname, even if it is really long. Carly, I love her, I will love her for a long time, even when she's being all crazy and stabbing Jason with needles that make him get all crazy and give Faith funny looks. But she's Carly, she's not exactly the type of person that just accepts things that she doesn't like. She acts out against them, hard. She's starting to realize how much everything is being ruined because of her, though. No, really, she is! The Damian/Sonny exchange, or at least the one in this chapter, was easy to write and easy to make an impact. I'm trying to break Sonny down. He's plenty complex, but he rarely shows how much he cares about things. The last line showed how much everything is really getting to him, and it makes him more human.  
  
How funny that you've never had to eat hospital food, and then today you're going to get surgery. Looks like you might have to eat some of the mutated delicacies, and for that I am sorry. I do hope that everything turns out fine with the surgery, though. I think that even if Damian tried to push Maxie away she'd insist on staying there and being with him because she knows that he needs a friend right now and he doesn't really have any outside of her. Georgie's there because she does bring a lot of comedy to the situation, even when she's not trying to. Their scenes are great, easily among my favorites.  
  
I'm hoping that Damian's past was something that you didn't expect. I was looking for that. Making him some perfect person who never did anything wrong, but ending up having two families have pasts that involve crime and being unaware of it both times. Yes, Sonny saved her life, but only in the broadest of senses. He was more worried about saving his own skin. Now Sonny would put a woman's life in front of anything else, but back then Sonny wasn't the Sonny he is now. Bobbie's supporting the people that make Michael feel good, and that includes Damian. I'm glad that she's on his side, too. He could use all the help he gets, especially when it comes to making sure that Carly doesn't hate him to the point of wanting him dead. The ending was so scripted, but that's how these things are supposed to go.  
  
I had to break the hospital drama, I'd had it for at least 3 chapters straight, and as much as I loved it, other people do inhabit the city of Port Charles. Ric and Liz might be a secondary relationship in this story, but they still need to have it played out as much as the bigger couples, because they've still got a part to play in everything before this concludes. Getting into Ric's head was fun, and I managed to come out relatively unharmed. As for the necklace, I'm surprised you didn't label it an 'aww' moment, because even I thought it was. You're right, seeing the people that he cares about with him makes him feel better, a whole lot better.  
  
Yes, Damian is capable of humor. I realize that in my zest to make him a dramatic character I've sort of placed anything else in his character way down the line, but it's still there. I agree with you about GH and the afterschool special, even though, techincally, it is on while most people are still in school. How could you forget Journey? Maybe you're just worrying about the surgery. If I were Courtney I'd be mad at Jason, too. I found it really amusing that I wrote that scene and then on the show they were talking about how Jason gave up being Michael's father so that Sonny could. I was pretty stoked. I mean, not like they read this, but hey, I know how that Morgan guy thinks, even with a messed up head. The elevator scene, it's like a soap staple, and for good reason. It makes everything seem more dramatic.  
  
All the reviews are taken care of! Now for the Story!  
  
Story-  
  
Morgan Household-  
  
Courtney walked in from being with Sonny and Carly. Whatever problems they were going through at the moment seemed to fade away with the impending situation that Michael was having. In a small way, Courtney was very thankful that something like this had happened. It was the best way to bring them together again. She didn't want them to get divorced. Not only because she didn't want to pick between her brother and her best friend, but mostly because she didn't want the kids to be put through a bitter divorce battle. Carly would most likely win if they did. Even with all of her past activities, she would still look like a more fit parent on paper than Sonny ever could. She was a good mother, there was no denying that. But that wasn't to say that Sonny was a bad father. He wasn't. He was the best father that she had ever seen. Morgan was still too young to be affected by something like a divorce, but the same could not be true of Michael. He was smart enough to know what was going on, and it would crush him. Michael was sensitive, at times a bit too sensitive. He understood things that other children his age would have no idea about.  
  
"Courtney?"  
  
Courtney jumped a little, "Jason, you startled me."  
  
"Sorry."  
  
She shook her head as she went up to him and gave him a hug, "No, it's okay. I was just thinking about something really hard, that's all."  
  
"You want to talk about it?" Jason asked.  
  
"It's not very important right now," Courtney quickly brushed off the thought. She didn't want to get into an argument about divorce with her husband. They both cared about Sonny and Carly deeply, it would only hurt to talk about it in the open. "I'm sorry about making you watch Morgan."  
  
"Don't be," Jason quickly interjected. "You wanted to see Michael but couldn't unless someone else watched the baby, I can understand that."  
  
"How was he?"  
  
"He's so much like Michael was when he was a baby," Jason said. "They do the same things. They laugh at the same noises. It's like they're almost the same person."  
  
Courtney turned away, "I wish I could give you that."  
  
Jason grabbed her shoulders very gently, "Don't think about that, not right now. You know that nothing good will come out of it."  
  
"I'll never forgive myself for costing you the chance of having a baby all your own, Jason," Courtney admitted. "I made the single most idiotic step that anyone could have ever taken, and it cost you so much."  
  
"It almost cost me you, Courtney," Jason replied. "And that means more to me than anything else in the world. Making sure that you're safe and alive gives me a purpose outside of the life. You keep me tethered to humanity better than anyone else, you're the only thing that keeps me from going over the edge. I would love to have a baby, but if that can't happen then I can be just as happy only having you."  
  
"I'm sorry," Courtney dug her head into Jason's shoulder. "I'm so sorry for everything."  
  
Jason shook his head as he brushed her hair with his hand, "Don't be. We have Michael and Morgan to remind us of what it would be like to have children."  
  
"Yeah," Courtney wiped away some tears. "I guess we do."  
  
"How was he?" Jason asked.  
  
"A little scared, but overall he was in high spirits. He didn't ask about you, but I know he was wondering why you weren't there." Courtney grabbed his hand, "Are you sure you can't go see him, just once?"  
  
"I don't know, Courtney. I honestly don't know."  
  
"It would help him so much, I know it would." Courtney stopped herself. "Sorry, I don't want you to feel like I'm pressuring you into doing something that you don't want. I know how much you hate that."  
  
"Thank you," Jason repiled. "Come on, it's late, you're tired, let's get some rest."  
  
3 A.M. General Hospital, Children's Wing-  
  
With all but the most dedicated of family and friends plus a very small skeleton staff on hand, General Hospital found itself very tame. Of course, there was always the chance that some fallout would occur. Most likely a shoot out between mob rivals, a raid on the Port Charles Hotel, or some other mechanism for mass hysteria. General Hospital had seen its fair share of strange occurrences over the years, but it quickly adapted to the myriad of patients that had been in and out of its doors, some more than others. Even modern medicine, advanced as it was, couldn't fix everything, however. And it was because of that fact that Jason Morgan would never feel entirely comfortable being inside its hallowed halls.  
  
The doorknob to Michael's room turned softly and silently. He walked in and saw the boy resting on the bed. His eyes closed. He looked over and saw Damian somehow sleeping on the chair. It was good to know that he cared enough to stay overnight with his brother. Jason put a card on the dresser next to Michael's head. It read:  
  
'Buddy, I will always be watching over you, even when you can't see me. Get well soon. We all want to hear you laughing again.  
  
Uncle Jason'  
  
Jason covered Michael with the blanket and walked out again. It was better this way.  
  
205 


	46. Pushing Away

Shamira- You caught up!!! Let us celebrate! And you did it before school started, which is fascinating, to me, because, well, I wouldn't do anything before school started but get ready for it. I am pleased that you are feeling well, and apparently did not have to suffer through the toxic food that they attempt to serve at hospitals. For that, you should be thankful. Although I'm not a very big fan of mashed potatoes unless they are of the KFC variety. I'm picky, I know. I do find your loathing of the Alky amusing, in a very good way. Yes, Maxie is becoming a compassionate woman who realizes what relationships are all about and for that I am happy. A pity it took the death of her old 'flame' for her to realize it. Well, actually, not a pity, I enjoyed killing Kyle, but she should have realized such things much sooner than she did. Courtney was wise to point out the whole Mac thing, because Mac's not going to be all that fond of the relationship, not that he's ever been fond of any relationship that either of his daughters has had. Alas, that is his way.  
  
I have not seen Pirates, in fact, I now avoid the movie at all costs because I blame it directly for causing GH to go through with this stupid Pirates storyline that is ruining the show and making me very sad at the moment. Curse you, Johnny Depp! I can vouch for you, you ain't the only one who hates Alky's hair. People in the group that I'm on for livejournal are constantly complaining about his mullet. It amuses me, but then most things do. I'm surprised that you didn't comment on Lorenzo's attempts to buy Damian off, since you tend to comment on everything Alky says so very thoroughly, not that I don't like that. Glad you liked Mike and Sonny's involvement. Poor Mike, he gets so little story time.  
  
Ha, I did take that into consideration. I'm sorry that you've wasted so much time reading so much of my story. Plus, it's actually a bit more since I don't save the review comments, but they're probably not even up to 10 pages yet. Hopefully when I go back to college (in just two days!!!) and back to the good computer, it won't be mean to me. Yes, Damian is nice and book smart, but he lacks the certain life experiences that make him a bit naïve. Of course, he's lived a very sheltered life up until this point, so it's not very hard to understand why he's the way he is. Note that I just commented on how Mike gets so little story time, but when he does, it's pretty important to what's going on overall. I actually don't like Mike that much, but realize how vital he is to the family situation that I'm using as the basis for the story. Slowly but surely, Damian is realizing that he can hurt Sonny by using Sonny's failure as a father against him, if he so desires. And we all know that Carly wouldn't let him stay with Michael, so I had to mention it or else people would be asking 'why didn't Carly throw a fit?' I don't quite remember if I thought about Carly during the coma when I was writing that scene with Michael and Damian. If I was I forgot, if I didn't, well, I'm glad someone else pointed it out.  
  
I can't believe they charge so much for word. Leave it to the devil that is Gates to do such a thing to you. Evil, satanic man. Yup, Michael in the hospital is technically a good thing, although it's actually a bad thing. Stupid technicalities. It does show how they support each other when they need it, though, which is what I was going for. I'm making up for the lack of Journey on the show here in some way. Although they've since wizened up and gave us some little moments. I like writing them together, they're a good pair and they really don't always have moments where they're mad at each other like Sonny and Carly. I think it was a combination of both Courtney and himself that led Jason to pay his impromptu visit. It was important to me that I have the character show how much he cares for Michael, even if he's somewhat afraid to do it. Glad you liked, and really glad you caught up!  
  
Story-  
  
Scorpio Household-  
  
She woke up as the rays of sunlight managed to get past the protective shielding that her drapes provided. For a moment she struggled to sleep once more, but she quickly realized that there was something more important to her than her sleep. Damian. She hadn't gotten any calls from him all night. It was probably a good sign. He knew he could call if he needed it. Having not called meant that nothing bad had happened to Michael, right? She shook her head. She would have gotten a call if something really bad had happened. She lifted herself off of her bed and headed for the shower.  
  
When she walked downstairs she didn't bother to look at the kitchen, she didn't think that anyone would be there. But someone was. "Maxie?"  
  
She stopped and looked over, "Hi, dad." She smiled.  
  
Mac looked at the clock. The shock was apparent on his face, "It's not even 7:30 in the morning, what are you doing up?"  
  
"I'm going to the hospital."  
  
Mac took another sip of his coffee, "You know, honey, I love that you're spending so much time doing volunteer work and helping people."  
  
"I'm really good at it," Maxie said. "I haven't been good at something that actually helps people before. It makes me feel better about myself."  
  
Mac nodded, "I wouldn't try and take that away from you, Maxie. But I'm not too sure that I like you leaving this early. You still have school, and now you're in college. It's more important that you get your rest now than it was in High School." Mac put the cup down, "I want you to tell them that you can't be taking shifts this early in the day anymore. Please make Bobbie understand, or I might have to do it for you."  
  
"My shift doesn't start for four hours," Maxie said.  
  
Mac almost knocked the cup into his lap, he was astounded. "What? If you don't have to be there for four hours, why are you leaving now?"  
  
"I'm needed."  
  
"Was there an emergency?" Mac asked. He should have heard of something that would require his daughter to be leaving for the hospital this early in the morning.  
  
"No," Maxie walked into the kitchen.  
  
His worry alleviated, Mac could be at a certain level of ease. "Well then why would they need you? They've got enough people on staff without calling in the volunteers."  
  
"The staff doesn't need me, dad."  
  
"Who does?"  
  
Maxie looked at him and then turned her eyes away, "A friend."  
  
"One of your friends is in the hospital, Maxie?" Mac asked, concerned. She had already been through the death of Kyle. Even though they weren't friends, they had something of a relationship. He hadn't even been gone a month. He worried about what going through such a crisis again so soon would do to her.  
  
"No," Maxie answered him softly.  
  
"You're going to see a friend before you go to the hospital?"  
  
Maxie shook her head, "I'm going to see a friend in the hospital, but he's not checked in, he's just there."  
  
"You've got a friend who is at the hospital, but isn't checked in, and you're going to see him?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I get it," Mac thought about it. "I think."  
  
"I've got my cell phone on if you need something," Maxie got up.  
  
"Wait a minute," Mac grabbed her shoulder, "Who is this person?"  
  
"Just a friend."  
  
"Well, do I know him?"  
  
Maxie was quiet. She didn't want to lie to him, "Yeah, you do." She kept out the part about knowing him through going to his house and arresting him. But it was true, they had met before.  
  
"Well, who is it?" Mac asked.  
  
"A friend."  
  
"Does this friend have a name?"  
  
"Yeah," Maxie pulled away.  
  
"Maxie, please! I know I haven't been around a lot lately, but you're not a little girl anymore, you don't need my constant support. You're an adult and you can make your own decisions. But I don't want you thinking that I don't care about you or Georgie anymore. I don't want you thinking that you have to shut me out of your life because I'm not interested in it anymore. I still love you both so much, no amount of work will take that away." Mac stood up, "Please, who is he?"  
  
"Damian."  
  
"I don't know anybody you hang around with named Damian," Mac said.  
  
Maxie turned away, "Yes, you do."  
  
"How can you be so sure?"  
  
"You," She stopped herself. "You arrested him once."  
  
The gears inside Mac's head began to turn. "Damian. Sonny's Corinthos's son?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Maxie, I don't want you going anywhere near that guy."  
  
"Dad!" Maxie cried out, "Please don't do this."  
  
"Don't do what, Maxie?" Mac asked. "Don't be worried about the fact that my daughter is hanging around the son of Sonny Corinthos, one of the most dangerous people in town, if not the country! You know what that guy does for a living. You know the danger that he places anyone into if they associate themselves with him. I can't let you be around that, not without worrying."  
  
"Damian isn't like Sonny!" Maxie defended him. "He's not a killer. He wants to be a doctor, he wants to help people."  
  
"Probably to atone for Sonny's body count," Mac countered.  
  
"That's not fair!" Maxie yelled. "You're judging him based on his father's life, you're not even giving him a chance."  
  
"I don't need to give anyone a chance when it comes to keeping the people that I love safe!"  
  
"Just because someone's father does stupid things doesn't mean that their children will turn out like them!" Maxie shouted. "Look at me and Georgie, we're not running around the world like Frisco!"  
  
"You're nothing like Frisco," Mac almost whispered.  
  
"And Damian is nothing like Sonny!" Maxie countered. "His little brother is in the hospital, and he's there watching him. He doesn't have anyone that he trusts, dad. He doesn't have anyone but me. I have to be there for him."  
  
"No."  
  
"Didn't you just say that I'm an adult now?" Maxie asked. "That I'm old enough to make my own decisions? Well, I decide to go be with him."  
  
"This isn't the same!" Mac countered. "I want you to be safe."  
  
"I will be, I promise." Maxie started to walk out.  
  
"Maxie, wait!" But she didn't heed Mac's call. He heard the door shut. He headed for the door as well.  
  
"Going after her will only push her away further, dad."  
  
Mac turned around, "How long have you been there?"  
  
Georgie walked down the stairs, "Long enough to know what's going on."  
  
"Can't you go talk with her?"  
  
Georgie shook her head, "It wouldn't help. She loves him, dad."  
  
Mac sighed, "How can she know what love is? She's known the guy for a few weeks!"  
  
"It doesn't work like that and we both know it. Look at what she just did for him, she is going out of her way to be there for him. She would never do that for anyone aside from you and I. She didn't even do that for Kyle when she thought she loved him." Georgie sat on the bottom step, "This is the first time that she's truly felt like this for someone other than her family. Don't try and take that away from her."  
  
"The only thing that she's doing is putting herself at risk, Georgie!" Mac stated. "Think about it, he is Sonny Corinthos's son."  
  
"I know."  
  
"And you know what Sonny does."  
  
"I do."  
  
"And you know how many people have died working for or against Sonny, let alone just by being around in his life. Carly almost died because he shot her in the head." Mac put his hand through his hair, "I don't want to go out to the latest mob scene that was someone caused through his involvement and have to identify the body of my daughter!"  
  
"I'm scared, too, dad." Georgie whispered. "But she's not stupid. She knows how to keep herself safe, and I don't think that he would put her in danger."  
  
"How can you be so sure?" Mac asked, purely doubtful.  
  
"Damian appears to hate Sonny's life so much that it took Michael getting checked into the hospital to get them together." She smiled, "I don't know him very well, we've actually just met recently, but he'd do anything for her. He'll protect her."  
  
"I don't care how much Damian hates Sonny's life, Georgie." Mac sat down next to her, "The fact is that they are father and son, it's a bond that can't be broken, no matter how hard people try. You'd help Frisco if he really needed your help, wouldn't you?"  
  
"Well, yeah," Georgie said. "But if I had to pick between Frisco and you, I'd pick you. Frisco might be my father, but you're my dad."  
  
"One of my daughters is in love with a member of the most corrupt family in Port Charles, the other with a member of the most dangerous." Mac sighed, "I have the worst luck."  
  
"Damian's a lot like Dillon, dad," Georgie said. "They're not like their family, they're better people."  
  
"I certainly hope that Damian can cook better than Dillon."  
  
Georgie laughed, "What do you mean by that?"  
  
"Don't try and hide it from me, Georgie," Mac smiled. "I've already sent Dillon's family the bill for the replacement cookware that was damaged in his virgin foray into the world of cooking."  
  
"You didn't!" Georgie was stunned.  
  
"How much do you want to bet?" Mac replied smugly. He kissed his daughter on the forehead, "I've got to get, I'll be late if I stay any longer."  
  
"Give them a chance, dad." Georgie almost begged, she certainly pleaded.  
  
"I can't make any promises, but I'll try." Mac walked out the door. Georgie got up and looked in the kitchen. How much did the damage tally up to?  
  
210 


	47. Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Notes: Tomorrow is the day where I shall be liberated from these horrid chains that keep me tied to the wretchedness known as my hometown. In other words, I'm doing the whole drive back to college town thing, so my update might be a little late in the afternoon tomorrow. It really depends on when I get back to my place and how tired I am, but I WILL update tomorrow, so don't worry very much.  
  
No New Reviews-  
  
Story-  
  
General Hospital, Children's Wing-  
  
Michael woke up as he heard the sound of the door opening. It took a moment for his vision to realign itself, but when he saw the familiar smiling face of his grandmother he was happy. Bobbie walked over and grabbed his hand, "Good morning, Michael." Michael hugged her. Bobbie patted him on the back, but she was sad that the night had given them no progress. She hoped that it would have. "Did you sleep well?" He nodded. "Good."  
  
Damian stirred from his slumber and yawned, "Morning already?"  
  
"You're surprised?" Bobbie asked.  
  
"Just disappointed, I suppose."  
  
"You didn't sleep well?"  
  
Damian grinned, "No, I slept perfectly fine. There's that screaming feeling that my lower back is giving me, my feet are asleep, and my knees are in a little bit of pain. All in all a perfect way to spend the night in the hospital."  
  
"You didn't have to stay."  
  
"Yeah," Damian gazed over at Michael. "I did."  
  
Bobbie looked at the card that had been placed on the dresser. "What's this?" She opened it and read the message inside. "Jason came to the hospital?"  
  
Damian shook his head, "I didn't see him, and I never left."  
  
Bobbie handed him the card, "Looks like he was here."  
  
Damian put it down once he read, "Leave it to one of my father's men. Getting around in the night and not waking anyone up."  
  
Bobbie looked on somberly as she showed Michael, "Look, sweetie, Uncle Jason was here to see you." Michael smiled at the thought, but it faded. Bobbie knew what he was thinking, it was obvious. "I'm sure he just saw you sleeping and didn't want to wake you up. He loves you, that's all that matters."  
  
"She's right," Damian agreed.  
  
"You hungry?" Bobbie asked Michael. He nodded once more. "Well, I've got a special surprise for you."  
  
"Marginally edible hospital food?" Damian wondered. "Have they even invented that yet?"  
  
"If they have, it hasn't reached Port Charles yet," Bobbie retorted smugly.  
  
"I'm not going to allow them to shove down that sorry attempt at food down Michael's throat."  
  
"Neither am I," Bobbie concurred. "Which is why I brought breakfast from Kelly's." Michael's face beamed. "I knew you'd like it."  
  
"I'd like it, too." Damian said.  
  
"Sorry, but only the patients get special treatment."  
  
"I've got a rare tropical disease!" Damian noted, "It's, it's, invisible leprosy."  
  
Bobbie cocked an eyebrow, "Invisible leprosy? You've exposed my grandson, your brother, to invisible leprosy?"  
  
"Fine," Damian succumbed. "I don't have anything."  
  
Bobbie laughed, "I can watch him if you want. You can get something to eat. Something that won't make you throw up."  
  
"I'm fine," Damian said.  
  
"Are you sure? You haven't left the hospital in 18 hours."  
  
"Which isn't even close to my record," Damian countered. "I've spent days inside of hospitals. Days inside a single room. Days watching after someone I cared about."  
  
"If you need anything at all that you need-"  
  
"I know just who to ask," Damian grinned. "Bobbie, I can't thank you enough for everything."  
  
"I haven't done anything."  
  
"That's the point," Damian said. "You haven't tried to judge me or my motives. You haven't tried to push me away. I want to thank you for that."  
  
"You don't need to."  
  
"Can I ask you something?"  
  
Bobbie nodded, "Sure."  
  
"Why? Why aren't you acting like everyone else?"  
  
Bobbie sighed, "I know what it's like to have someone come back into your life that you never knew about or thought you'd never see again. Carly's my daughter, but I never saw her grow up, I never talked to her about boys, or helped her do her hair. I gave her up and thought I would never have to see her and deal with the disappointment again. When she came back I felt a lot of things. Anger, Joy, Pain, Regret. But she was feeling a lot of things at the same time, and it would have helped her to have a friend on her side at that time. I can't erase the past, but I can help make sure that it doesn't happen again in the future. Everyone thought you were here to bring Sonny's life into a downward spiral, and they tried to make sure you never did. They didn't want to give you time to show yourself to them. I couldn't change their minds, I wasn't even going to try, but the least I could do was try and be there for you if you needed it."  
  
"I guess Sonny and I are a lot like you and Carly."  
  
Bobbie opened the blinds in the room, "Yeah, you are. Believe me, Damian. Things will turn out better somehow. In the mean time," She turned around, "You've got someone waiting in the lobby for you."  
  
"Maxie?"  
  
Bobbie winked, "She seems to have taken a liking to you."  
  
"Why is she here so early?"  
  
"So she could be here for you in case you needed it," Bobbie stated. "She cares about you."  
  
"I know," Damian replied.  
  
"Don't leave her outside," Bobbie ordered. "I'll watch Michael."  
  
"If anything happens-"  
  
Bobbie smirked, "I'll come get you."  
  
Lobby-  
  
Maxie paced around the lobby. It was odd, being at the hospital without having to work. But she was there for him, so she would cope. "Maxie."  
  
Maxie smiled, "Morning."  
  
"You didn't have to come so early, Maxie."  
  
"I wanted to be here."  
  
"Are you sure?" Damian asked. "You're giving up a lot for me."  
  
"You're worth it. I can catch up on sleep when Michael's better."  
  
"Maxie," Damian began uneasily, "What do you think love is?"  
  
Maxie looked up at him, puzzled, "What?"  
  
"Love," Damian repeated. "What do you think it is?"  
  
Maxie searched her soul for the answer, "I think it's feeling something for someone. Something so strong that you know that you'd do anything for them, just to make them feel a little bit better. Something that makes you feel the pain that they're in, so much that you need to make sure that they get through it. Something that you can't really explain, but you just know."  
  
"Something that you can't explain, but you just know," Damian repeated softly.  
  
"Why are you asking me about love?"  
  
"I don't know," Damian answered. "I've just been thinking a lot since last night. About my life, about what I've done, about who I care for. Maxie, when Bobbie told me that you were here I was surprised. I asked myself why you would be here at this hour. And then I wondered if I'd do the same for you if the situation were reversed. I didn't even need to think about the answer, I knew it right away. I would do it, Maxie. I'd stay by your side as long as you needed it, no matter what. I love you, Maxie." Damian hugged her tightly, "I love you so much."  
  
Maxie wiped away a tear, "I love you, too." She pulled away, "I've been waiting my whole live for someone to tell me that and really mean it."  
  
"I do."  
  
She giggled, "I know you do, and I do, too." She looked at him curiously, "You going to pull away if I kiss you again?"  
  
"That depends," Damian countered slyly. "How's your breath?"  
  
"I'm not the one that slept in the hospital overnight!" Maxie laughed.  
  
"You going to pull away from me because I'm a dedicated big brother?"  
  
"Wouldn't think about it for a second," Maxie said.  
  
"Then there's no reason why either of us would pull away, is there?" Damian asked as he pressed his lips on hers. Neither did pull away. 


	48. Making Up

Sarah- I'm sorry you had to get your wisdom teeth pulled out, I'm sure that was pretty painful! Thanks for the review, as always, and thanks for being in support of Damian and Maxie!  
  
Story-  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
They went to bed together the night before. They were still mad at one another for various reasons, but they shelved those reasons because their son needed them united. Michael was more important than whatever they were going through. It was still hard, though. They may have slept in the same bed, but they were mentally separated by worlds. They didn't touch one another, and had barely said a word before they both attempted to sleep. Maybe it would have went better if they had admitted one simple fact to each other, they wanted to be together. They wanted to actually feel united, feel that love that had gotten them through so much over the years of their all too complicated relationship. But neither of them did. As mad as they were at each other for their own reasons, Sonny and Carly were much angrier with themselves for allowing everything to take the snowball effect that it had. It was more than Damian's impact on their life, it was how they handled the situation and how they handled each other's way of dealing with it. If they would have just talked about it, been honest with each other, things would have likely been different. But they didn't. And things weren't. They were the same as they had always been, never talking about something until it became too much and threatened to tear away at their relationship. It was a cycle that had no end.  
  
"Sonny?" Carly opened her eyes and saw her husband staring out of the window. He was already dressed.  
  
"Good morning, Carly," Sonny said, but there was very little emotion to his voice. Before he would smile and make her feel like her world was complete, that life was worth living because they were together. Now, there was nothing, just a cold void.  
  
"How long have you been up?"  
  
"A few hours," Sonny turned to her. "I decided that I should wait for you to get up, we can go together."  
  
"You didn't have to do that, Sonny."  
  
"Yeah," Sonny corrected her, "I did. Michael wants us to be together, if we show him that we are he might get better faster."  
  
"But we're not, Sonny!" Carly cried out. "We're fighting so much these days that we're only hurting him. Even if we put on the biggest fake smiles that we can, all we're going to be doing is lying to our son. I don't want to lie to him."  
  
"Neither do I."  
  
"So how do we fix it?" Carly asked.  
  
"I wish I knew, but I don't. I don't know how to do much of anything these days. I'm failing at every corner, breaking down what few good relationships I've had in my life and shattering the new ones before they get a chance to be anything." Sonny sighed, "I used to be able to control every part of my life, no matter what. Now I find myself always wondering what's going to happen next, and it scares me." Sonny sat down on the bed, "You know, while you were sleeping, after I got ready, I went to his room. I looked at all the toys that were scattered around the floor, all the pictures that he's made for us. They were so happy and colorful. I laughed at the irony, because now the only thing that's happening to him through us is misery. I'm slowly destroying my children's lives, Carly."  
  
"No, you're not." Carly crawled up to the edge of the bed and hugged him, "You're not doing anything wrong."  
  
"How can you say that to me?" Sonny asked. "It's my fault that Damian left, my fault that Michael can't talk, my fault that Morgan could have died after you gave birth to him."  
  
"Stop it right now, Sonny!" Carly ordered. "You cannot always be responsible for everyone's lives, you're not a God. No matter how much you try and make yourself think that you are, you're still a human, you still make mistakes."  
  
"Don't remind me."  
  
"You have to realize that, Sonny," Carly said. "You have to understand that you can't make everything work, no matter how much you want it. No matter how hard you try."  
  
"I can't deal with failing, Carly. I just can't."  
  
"I know," Carly rubbed her hand across his chest. "You are, after all, a very stubborn Corinthos male. You'll never admit defeat until the end."  
  
Sonny grabbed her hand and turned his head to meet hers, "I've missed you."  
  
"I've always been here."  
  
Sonny shook his head, "No, you haven't. We haven't been together for weeks, and I've missed that."  
  
"I know, I've missed it, too."  
  
"I'm not going to ask anything of you anymore, Carly. You don't like him, fine, I can deal with that."  
  
Carly smiled, "He's your son, Sonny. You want a relationship with him. I want you to have what you want, even if it isn't what I want."  
  
"He doesn't want one with me."  
  
"Then that is his problem and not yours," Carly defended her husband. "If he's willing to let someone as great as you get away then he doesn't deserve you as a father."  
  
"He deserves someone better."  
  
"There is no one better than you, Sonny! Nobody I've ever met is as compassionate towards children as you are, not even Courtney."  
  
"He's not a child anymore," Sonny countered. "He's a young man. An independent young man who doesn't need his father."  
  
"If he didn't need you, why would he come all the way across the country just to find you?"  
  
"I don't know, Carly! I really do not know anything these days."  
  
"You want to know what I do know, Sonny?" Carly asked. "I know that you're hurting because of Michael, you're hurting because of Damian, you're hurting about everything that's been going wrong in our lives as of late. And when you get like this it makes you doubt yourself in ways that you should never go through. You've worked through stuff that is so much worse than this and survived, Sonny. You can do it again."  
  
"I've been through a lot, yeah," Sonny said. "I've been shot at, beat up, and left for dead. But all those things were dependent on me surviving, and I won't let myself leave the people I care about until I'm good and ready. This is different. This is me hurting people that I care about, and I can't fix that." Sonny shook his head, "Damian went to Alcazar yesterday."  
  
Carly's eyes went wide, "What do you mean?"  
  
"They had a conversation."  
  
"Do you think he told Alcazar anything about you?"  
  
"He doesn't know anything. Jason handles everything these days, you know that."  
  
"Then why were they talking?" Carly was curious.  
  
"I told him about his family, about his grandfather," Sonny began. "I don't know if I told you about that."  
  
Carly shook her head, "You didn't."  
  
"His grandfather was into organized crime when he was younger, when he was Damian's age. He broke away from the life when he started a family, but they never told Damian. I had to. He didn't believe me."  
  
Carly found herself feeling something that she never thought she would feel for Damian, sorrow. It wasn't enough for them to just up and become the best of friends, but she did feel for him. He had living a life of lies, she knew how that worked. That didn't mean that he could be accepted in her family, though. "So he went to Alcazar looking for answers?"  
  
"And finding out that I was telling the truth," Sonny said. "I had to tell him, Carly. I couldn't keep that a secret from him anymore."  
  
"You did the right thing, Sonny. Never let anyone else tell you that."  
  
"He stayed with Michael last night, Carly," Sonny wanted no more lies, not between himself and anyone.  
  
"Damian did?"  
  
"He didn't want to leave Michael alone in the hospital overnight. He refused to leave Michael's side. I couldn't tell him to leave, I just couldn't."  
  
"Sonny," Carly whispered. "I wish you would have told me before we left."  
  
"Would you have tried to keep him away?"  
  
Carly looked at him, "I would have asked Michael if he wanted it."  
  
"I did ask him, Carly. He was happy to be around Damian again. You should see them together, they connect. They've been around each other for such a short time, but they connect so well."  
  
"I see that," Carly said. "I try and deny it so much, but I see it."  
  
"You can't deny that they care about each other."  
  
"I know," Carly said sadly. "I'm glad someone was with him, I really am. Even if it was him."  
  
Sonny hugged Carly, "I don't want us to be fighting ever again."  
  
"Neither do I." Carly wiped away some of the tears, "Let me get ready, and we'll go see our boy."  
  
Sonny smiled as he watched her leave into the bathroom. Maybe things would be a little bit better. He could only hope.  
  
218 


	49. Deal

Outside of Kelly's-  
  
The breeze from the harbor was becoming much less tolerable as the twilight days of summer began to pass the citizens of Port Charles. Lorenzo Alcazar walked out of Kelly's holding a cup of coffee, it was one of the few things that he did in his life that had no evil subtext, unless one was to ask those that believe that caffeine is the devil. He had many addictions: Money, Power, Carly and Coffee. Of those four only coffee would he admit to a total stranger, and to only Carly herself would he ever claim to be addicted. But he was. He was infatuated with the woman from the moment he first laid eyes upon her. It had never stopped, the yearning, and it would never stop until he was dead, even if she died before him. Sadly, that was always a possibility, given that her own love was the dangerous and brash Sonny. He couldn't protect her, not like Lorenzo could. Alcazar firmly believed that fact. After all, it wasn't he who put the bullet in her brain without a second thought. No, that was Sonny acting out in the way that he often does, allowing everything else to get in the way of what is really important. Carly deserved someone better, Carly deserved Lorenzo. But there would always be one huge detour in their relationship. The fact that Sonny was Morgan's biological father and Michael's adoptive father would always place Lorenzo and Carly at odds. He could care for those children as well, if she would only give him the chance. But she did not want to harm the children, and he admired that, even if it did rip at his heart.  
  
A familiar blond woman walked past him, paying him no heed. Either she did not see him, or she was ignoring him completely. Lorenzo firmly believed in the latter. After all, the woman was Courtney Matthews-Morgan. "Good morning, Mrs. Morgan," Lorenzo called out, knowing that it would anger her.  
  
Courtney rolled her eyes and did not turn around, "What do you want?"  
  
"Is that any way to greet someone?"  
  
"You're not worth a civil greeting, Alcazar," Courtney commented venomously.  
  
"No, I'm potentially worth billions," Lorenzo dryly countered.  
  
Courtney faced him at that remark. "All the money in the world couldn't make you a decent man, we both know that."  
  
Lorenzo smiled, "There are plenty of people in this town and in this country who would say that I am among the most polite and decent people that they have ever met."  
  
Courtney snickered, "And I'm sure that none of those people know that you helped keep a pregnant woman locked away in a room for months before taking her all around the world as a hostage. I'm sure that they don't know that when you couldn't take Carly prisoner anymore you instead switched her for me and cost me the baby that Jason and I wanted so badly."  
  
"I regret the loss that you succumbed while in my custody deeply, Courtney. As little you may think of me, the truth is that I do not enjoy using innocents in my battles if they can be avoided. You made the choice to jump off the yacht, you cost yourself that baby. What would you have named it? Jason Junior?"  
  
Courtney thought about slapping him, but he would only use it against her in some way. Instead she managed to keep her anger inside and just shook her head, "You're a sick and twisted man, you know that? You try and take everything that you've done and make it seem like you're nothing more than the impartial scapegoat."  
  
"I cannot help it if that is how the events play themselves out," Lorenzo replied. He took a sip of his coffe, "But that wasn't the reason why I stopped you, to dig up the past. I live for the now and the future, my past means nothing to me."  
  
"I don't care what means anything to you, Alcazar," Courtney said spitefully. "You mean absolutely nothing to me."  
  
"How is Michael?"  
  
Courtney blinked, "What?"  
  
"Michael, your nephew, how is he?"  
  
"Why do you care?" Courtney asked.  
  
"Didn't you just hear me?" Lorenzo finished his drink and put the cup on the table nearby. "I don't use innocents in my battles, and I don't like it when they get hurt. You cannot get more innocent than a child, and I happy to be very fond of Michael. He always brought Carly such happiness whenever she talked to him."  
  
"She loves her son and she wanted to be with him because she knew that he was worried about her. If you really do love Carly like you're always claiming you do, you would have seen that and let her come home sooner, or not even taken her in the first place. But then you don't really know anything about love, do you?"  
  
"I know more about it than Jason does," Lorenzo quickly countered. "After all, I can remember the woman that owned my heart before all others. Can he?"  
  
"Jason has a medical condition that impairs his memory, you sick bastard!" Courtney was almost shouting. She could take him insulting her much better than she could take him insulting the man that she loved with all of her heart and soul.  
  
"One that just conveniently made him a better pawn for your brother to use."  
  
"My brother doesn't use Jason! Sonny treats those around him like they should be treated, like human beings. You're the one that treats people like pieces in some game of chess, leading the expendable ones into the slaughter house like they were swine."  
  
Lorenzo grinned devilishly, "You let your love of your husband and your brother cloud your judgment, it will only put you in more danger. You lost the ability to bear children the last time you made an error, the next time you may lose your life."  
  
"At least I know what real love actually feels like," Courtney picked up her things. "I've places to be, you've kept me from them long enough."  
  
"You never answered my question."  
  
"You were never going to get an answer to that question. What happens to anyone in my family stays within my family or at least to the people that I actually trust. You are neither." Courtney walked away.  
  
Lorenzo's grin widened, "I'm just someone who knows how to press your buttons."  
  
Inside Kelly's-  
  
Mac was desperate, very desperate. He hated the fact that Maxie was in love with someone like that. He knew next to nothing about Damian, but he knew the one fact that made everything else not matter: He was Sonny's son. Nothing could change that. No matter what, he would always be a part of the world that Mac had sworn to stomp out. He couldn't just let Maxie get involved with that type of life, but he wasn't given a choice. As much as he hated to admit it, his girls were growing up fast, they already were grown up. They didn't need their dad standing over them and being their protectors anymore. That didn't mean that Mac wouldn't stop trying. He'd do anything to keep his daughters safe, or so he thought. When he saw Lorenzo Alcazar walk into the place his heart stopped. He realized that he would never sink low enough to ask those people for help, and yet Maxie was in love with the son of one of them. He couldn't get close to her, he'd never be anything more than her father in this situation. Georgie would never blatantly betray her older sister like that, they were much too close for any ideas he had about getting her to be his eyes and ears work. She would tell him if something got too out of hand, though, and for that he was very thankful. That left only one person. Mac would make a deal with just about any devil to keep his daughter safe. Even if that devil was a Quatermaine.  
  
Dillon walked in and saw Mac looking right at him. Even though Mac had called this meeting he was still scary. His eyes pierced into Dillon's soul like knives. He wanted to turn away, but something might have happened to Georgie. Something bad enough hat it would Mac tell him, not have Maxie do it for him. Dillon gulped as he took a few steps forward, trying to keep his balance. "You wanted to see me."  
  
"I would have thought you would spend a few minutes talking to your good friend outside."  
  
Dillon tossed a look behind his shoulder and saw Alcazar. "Look, Mac, I don't do anything for that guy anymore. I know what he is, I know the trouble that he can get himself into, and I know that if I was working for him it would put Georgie in danger. She already has you being her father, she doesn't need another strong connection that would make her a target."  
  
"It's nice to know that we can agree about something from time to time, isn't it, Dillon?" Mac asked.  
  
"We both agree that Georgie is a very special person that we love very much."  
  
"Yes, we do."  
  
"She's fine, isn't she?" Dillon asked. "I mean, you didn't call me here to tell me that something really bad happened to her last night, did you?"  
  
Mac shook his head, "No, Georgie is fine."  
  
Dillon sighed in relief, but there was still a bit of doubt swelling inside of him. He had to know, and he going to make Mac tell him what he wanted to know, "Would you have told me?"  
  
Mac cocked an eyebrow, "What?"  
  
"If something bad happened to Georgie, and I mean really bad, would you have told me? If she gets into a bad accident one day and doesn't have very much time left to live, will you tell me, will you let me spend a few final moments with the woman that I love more than anything else? Or would you let your hatred of me keep us apart until the end? Just the way you would really want it." Dillon was afraid of Mac, very afraid, but he would do anything for Georgie, including confronting her father.  
  
"I didn't come here to talk about what could happen, Dillon."  
  
"I don't care what you came here to talk about, Mac!" Dillon countered forcefully, "I want an answer!"  
  
A few eyes had turned to look at the two, but neither really seemed to care. "You want an answer?" Mac asked. "Fine, I'll give you an answer. Yes, Dillon, I would tell you. Regardless of how I feel about you, I know that my daughter cares about you, and if it were one of her final wishes then I couldn't deny her the chance to at least say goodbye. Provided you weren't the one that caused her to be on her deathbed."  
  
"I would never do that to Georgie."  
  
"Never say never," Mac warned. "I never thought I would put them in danger either, but as you've pointed out, being the Commissioner means that the people that want to get my attention can always try and hurt one of them. Can we talk about something else now?"  
  
"Fine," Dillon muttered.  
  
"I have an offer to make you," Mac said. "Maxie's taken to being around Sonny's adult son, have you met him?"  
  
Dillon shook his head, "No, not yet."  
  
"I don't trust the guy."  
  
"You don't trust anyone that tries to get close to your daughters," Dillon remarked.  
  
"That's beside the point. I don't want his life getting my daughter hurt, but I can't be there at all, because she knows how I feel and she'll try to keep me away from them at all costs. You, however, are her sister's boyfriend, and Maxie does consider you her friend. You could get a lot more information about them than I could."  
  
"You want me to spy on your daughter and her new boyfriend?" Dillon gathered. "That's pretty bad, Mac, even for you."  
  
"I'm just doing whatever I need to in order to keep her safe, Dillon. You've got your flaws, but I put more weight on your word than I do his."  
  
"Have you even met the guy yet?"  
  
"Do I need to?" Mac countered. "He's Sonny's child, I'm sure you can understand what that means in this town."  
  
"He's a target."  
  
"A big target, and one that puts Maxie in the crossfire."  
  
Dillon shook his head, "I can't betray Maxie, she's my friend. I love her, maybe not the way that I love Georgie, but I love her nonetheless. It would break her heart to know that you're trying to plot against her relationship, so I won't tell her anything. But, Mac, you need to understand something, we're more than who our families are. I'm more than a Quatermaine, and he's more than Corinthos more than likely. If you keep on refusing to give the people that come into your daughters lives a fair chance at being worthy of them you're only going to push yourself away from your children. I don't think you want that. I know they don't."  
  
"Rethink my offer," Mac said. "I don't need a definite answer right away. Just know that if you agree to help me, the benefits could be great."  
  
"I won't do it," Dillon got out of the seat and walked out.  
  
Mac hung his head low. His best chance had just been blown, he would have to find another way to keep them apart.  
  
223 


	50. Scarier Than Spiders

Notes: Because even the better version of word basically stopped giving me spelling pointers, I've switched everything that I haven't posted (starting with this) to a second document, so the page count will be substantially lower now than it was for the other chapters. Just a fair warning. And, this is chapter 50, let us celebrate! I really didn't intend for this chapter to be chapter 50, but I guess I just got lucky.  
  
Story-  
  
General Hospital-  
  
Courtney would have made it to the hospital before Sonny and Carly had she not had her less than pleasant altercation with Lorenzo. As it was now, though, they walked in at the same time, in separate elevators. Carly smiled as she turned over and saw her best friend, "It's like we're in synch or something."  
  
"Michael will be happy to see us all," Sonny said, his arm wrapped around Carly's waist. "We shouldn't keep him waiting too long."  
  
"Are you implying that I took too long to get ready, Sonny?" Carly asked jokingly.  
  
"Implying? I'll flat out say it, you took forever."  
  
"You knew what you were getting into when you married me, baby."  
  
"An over-inflated water bill was not part of the deal," Sonny grinned. "Do you realize that with the money you spend on your showers alone I could feed an entire country of starving babies?"  
  
Carly faked being flabbergasted, "Liar!"  
  
"You want to see the bill?"  
  
Courtney giggled. As odd as the topic was, it was good to see them having a bout of playful banter between one another. It had been nothing but yelling and anger earlier. It wasn't what they needed, even if Michael wasn't feeling sick, they needed to fix whatever problems they were having and get over it. From what she saw in front of her eyes at that moment, it looked like they were already on their way. "I haven't seen the two of you acting like this in some time."  
  
"We worked through the problems we were having, for the most part," Sonny said.  
  
"Everything's better," Carly's face lost the gleam that it had. "Well, almost everything." She thought of Michael and him being in the hospital.  
  
"He'll get better soon enough," Courtney said confidently.  
  
"She's right. In the meantime, let's go see him." Sonny walked with Carly down the hallway as Courtney followed behind. She wanted Jason to be there with her, but knew that it was asking too much, he was still watching Morgan, after all.  
  
Michael's Room-  
  
Bobbie had left for a few minutes. Much like Damian, she had her fair share of hospital anxiety. Being in the building for excess hours at a time could indeed prove maddening, even to a seasoned nurse like Bobbie. She wasn't going too far away with Michael still checked in, but she did need some air. Maxie was with Damian, hold his hand as he stood and she sat in the chair. Occasionally her eyes would shift and look at the little boy in the bed, the reason why they were there. But he wasn't the reason they were together, was he? "Damian?"  
  
Damian looked down at her, "Yeah?"  
  
"If he wasn't in the hospital, do you think we would have said the things that we said?"  
  
Damian shrugged his shoulders, "I can't give you an answer to that and have it be certain, Maxie. But, I will tell you that I believe in fate, and I do believe that we were supposed to meet. I waited twenty one years to fall in love, and I'm glad it was with you."  
  
"You're just saying that," Maxie grinned.  
  
"If I was going to attempt impressing you with my romantic ways, don't you think I would have done so in a less verbose manner?" Damian asked, grinning.  
  
"I'm not Georgie," Maxie said. "You need to tell me things in English, not that smart talk."  
  
"We would have realized how we felt for each other, one way or another, Maxie. I really do think that."  
  
She smiled, "I do, too."  
  
The door opened as the three adults walked into the room, smiles on their faces as they hoped to see Michael in better spirits than the night before. He was asleep, so they couldn't be too sure. Sonny looked over at Maxie, "Hello, Maxie."  
  
"Hello," Maxie said a bit uneasily. Sonny Corinthos had an aura about him that couldn't be anything but intimidating. "I hope you don't mind that I'm here."  
  
"I asked her to stay with me," Damian was quick to defend Maxie. He wasn't going to let them think that she forced herself on him, because it wasn't true.  
  
"No, it's fine," Sonny said. "I'm glad that Damian had a friend to stay with him while he watched over Michael. I know it must have been hard staying over night with nothing else to do."  
  
"Check the garbage can for the stacks of crosswords, Sonny," Damian replied smugly. "I was a busy boy last night."  
  
"Nothing happened to him overnight, did it?" Courtney asked.  
  
Damian shook his head, "He slept, a lot. He woke up and ate some food that Bobbie brought him and then he went back to bed." Damian turned to Maxie once more, "We should give them some time alone with Michael."  
  
Maxie was quick to agree, if only to get away from Sonny's penetrating stare. It was then that she realized how nervous she was about being around Sonny, and how she would have to adjust, being that she was in love with his son. She hoped it would work out. "Let's go."  
  
They left, Courtney smiled at Damian, she knew what was going on, and she was happy for him, and for Maxie as well. She had gotten the short end of the stick too many times before, she deserved someone that could treat her well. She knew Damian would.  
  
Carly turned to Sonny, "I'll be right back." She followed the two out of the room, leaving Sonny and Courtney with a look of questioning on their faces. "Wait!" She called out as she watched them walking away.  
  
Damian and Maxie turned around. Damian's eyebrow went up, "You need something, Carly?"  
  
"Maxie," Carly started, "Could you leave the two of us alone for a few minutes?"  
  
"Yeah, sure." She turned to Damian, "I'll wait for you in the hallway."  
  
Damian nodded an affirmation, his eyes still fixated on Carly. What did she want. "Okay, Carly, we're alone. What do you want?"  
  
"This isn't easy for me," She said. "But I need to tell you that I do appreciate how you watched over Michael last night."  
  
"You found out?"  
  
"Sonny told me."  
  
"He shouldn't have," Damian replied.  
  
"Why not?" Carly asked.  
  
"Because you're thanking me not out of the goodness of your heart, but because you feel that you have to in order to keep your conscience from eating you up. You can't hide it from me, Carly, I know that you do not enjoy having me around anyone in this family."  
  
"You're absolutely right," Carly agreed. "But those are my feelings, and I am entitled to feel however the hell I want about anything. That doesn't mean that everyone else can't have their own feelings about you as well. Michael loves you, I don't understand why, but he does. I see how important you are too him, and I can't deny it. So, with that said, thank you."  
  
"You're welcome," Damian smugly replied. "If you'll excuse me."  
  
"I'm not done yet, Damian," Carly said. "You need to give Sonny another chance. He really didn't mean to hurt you, he was only trying to protect you."  
  
"I can protect myself, Carly."  
  
"Not from everything."  
  
"Why are you doing this? Why are you trying to push my father and me together when you were only trying to keep us apart a few days ago?"  
  
"He cares about you, and I love him," Carly replied. "When he hurts, so do I. He's hurting right now, and you're the main reason that he is."  
  
"I can't just forgive what he did, Carly. I cannot ignore his lies."  
  
"You're a lot like him in that way, you know," Carly commented. "Sonny hates it when people lie to him, it's the easiest way to break the bond of trust between Sonny and whoever it was that lied. You know why you share that? Because you're blood related, he's a part of you and you're a part of him. You can't erase that, no matter how hard you try."  
  
"Or how hard you try," Damian retorted bluntly.  
  
"I suppose I deserved that."  
  
"That and a whole lot more," Damian added. "But this isn't the place for us to have another one of our sparing matches, is it?"  
  
"No, it isn't."  
  
Inside of the room Michael's eyes were closed, but his mind was active. It was always active. He dreamt, and they weren't pleasant dreams. They weren't spiders, either. They were a fear much worse than that of spiders. Spiders could only hurt you for a while, the wound would heal and everything would be okay once again in time. No, his nightmare was something that couldn't be repaired. The severed family bond. He saw his mother and his brother at each other's throats, always arguing, never doing anything else, never being friends. Michael would watch and try his hardest to smooth things over, but it wouldn't work. No matter how hard he tried, it would never work. He saw Damian leaving and never coming back, breaking the promise that he made to always be there because he couldn't stand being around Carly. It was his worst fear. Michael moaned in his sleep as he started to toss and turn. It was slow at first, but it quickly hastened itself.  
  
Sonny watched his son obviously going through something traumatic, "Courtney, get Carly in here, now!" He grabbed Michael's hand, "Buddy, don't worry, daddy's here with you!"  
  
Courtney opened the door and interrupted the talk that Damian and Carly were having, "Michael's acting strangely."  
  
"What's wrong?" Carly asked.  
  
"I don't know, just come in, both of you!" They listened to her without a second thought. Michael was more important to them both than their dislike for each other.  
  
"Sonny!" Carly cried. "What's going to happen?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Should we get a doctor?" Courtney was near the door in case the answer was yes.  
  
"He's having a nightmare," Damian said. "Try talking to him, all of you. He'll respond to our voices if he can hear them."  
  
"Are you sure?" Sonny asked.  
  
"Not entirely, but I remember reading about it in psychology. It should work."  
  
They did as they were told, all of them saying Michael's name over and over again. Telling him that everything was going to be fine if he just woke up. Michael heard them, and their voices helped him battle the dream that was hurting him. It shattered inside his head. He opened his eyes slowly and saw everyone looking at him. Michael smiled. He spoke, but it was a weak tone, "You're all here. All of you."  
  
Carly and Courtney felt the tears fall down their cheeks, they didn't care at all. They were so happy, Michael was going to be all right. Carly hugged her son, "We're always going to be here for you, baby."  
  
5 


	51. Keepsake

Within minutes more had come. Mike had returned, Bobbie had dropped everything to be with her grandson, and Maxie had returned, although she stayed outside for the most part. She gave a smile to Michael and told him that she was happy he was feeling better, but she knew that this was something that the family needed to do, and she wasn't a member of that family. Damian spent a few minutes in the room with the others before exiting and speaking with his girlfriend. "You didn't have to leave, you know."  
  
Maxie disagreed, "It wouldn't have been right for me to be there while you and the rest of your family were celebrating Michael's recovery. That's something private, I'm just an outsider."  
  
"In a lot of ways so am I," Damian retorted. "And I don't ever want you to feel that you're an outsider, Maxie. You're a part of my life and I don't care what they think. I love you, nothing's going to change that. Besides, Michael thinks of you as his friend, they wouldn't have minded you being in there."  
  
"Still," Maxie said softly. "I just didn't feel that it would have been right."  
  
Damian nodded, "I won't press the issue. If you feel like that about something I'm glad that you told me and were honest."  
  
Maxie grinned, "You look so happy."  
  
Damian almost blushed, "Why wouldn't I be? My little brother found his voice again. At least something bad finally found a way to get better again."  
  
"Other things will, too. If you believe that they will, they will."  
  
Damian looked away, "I don't want to think about that right now, Maxie. Michael's better, I don't want to taint the feeling with my animosity towards my father."  
  
"He'll always feel it unless you find a way to get rid of it completely," Maxie commented. "Michael's got this air about him, like he knows what other people are feeling."  
  
"He's very intuitive, this is true." Damian took a few steps towards the window. It was sunny outside, and the cold morning chill had since vanished in favor of a warm end of summer breeze. "He understands that we might not ever live in the same house again, but that it doesn't mean I care about him any less. That's all I want him to know, that I'll be there for him whenever he needs me."  
  
"Damian," Michael said as he walked out of the room, Bobbie holding his hand.  
  
"You sure you should be out of bed?" Damian asked. While the boy had spent the better part of two days in a bed he hadn't really moved since then. He appeared to be walking along fine, and Bobbie was there to assist him in case he needed it.  
  
"I'm fine, promise."  
  
"Really promise?"  
  
Michael laughed, "Yeah, really promise." Michael held out his hand, "Here, I don't need this anymore."  
  
Damian felt the cool metal of the chain fall into his hand. He looked at it, "Michael, I want you to keep it."  
  
"I can't," Michael said. "Your mommy gave it to you before she died, didn't she?"  
  
"Yes, she did."  
  
"It's too important to give to me," Michael noted.  
  
Damian smiled, "No, it's not. It's helped guard me at the times when I felt the most alone. But I don't need it anymore. I want you to keep it so that you can look at it and know that I'm with you somehow, even when I can't be there in person."  
  
"You sure?" Michael asked.  
  
"I've never been so sure about anything else in my life before, Michael. Keep it."  
  
"You're not coming back home with me and daddy and mommy, are you?" Michael asked, his voice already sad.  
  
"I have my own place to live, you know that," Damian said. "But I'll be sure to visit you a lot, or you can come to my place. Maybe I'll even get you some pie."  
  
"I'd like that," Michael said, although he was still more than a little saddened that Damian wasn't going to be coming home with him.  
  
"So would I."  
  
Bobbie gave Michael's hand a little tug, "Come on, honey. We've got to get you dressed to go back home and I've got to get the paperwork for you to check out."  
  
"You going to stay until I check out?" Michael wondered.  
  
"I will if you want me to," Damian replied.  
  
"I do."  
  
Damian nodded, "Go get dressed, I'll be right out here with Maxie."  
  
Michael looked over at the girl, "She your girlfriend?"  
  
Damian blushed at the question. Being asked by a kid about a relationship between two people, he wasn't expecting it to be as hard as it ended up being. But he didn't want to lie to Michael, and there was no reason to lie. He loved Maxie, they were a couple, there was nothing to hide. "Yeah."  
  
"He's a better guy than Kyle ever was," Michael said to Maxie.  
  
"I know that," Maxie took a few steps forward, a wide grin on her face. "He's a better guy than anyone I've ever met. Although he isn't as cute as you."  
  
"Hey!" Damian joked.  
  
"No kissing!" Michael pleaded. He always hated it when people kissed. But then again, he was a little boy.  
  
"We'll make sure that you get to the room before we start kissing," Damian compromised. "Better run, though."  
  
Michael scattered away, almost pulling Bobbie. He really didn't like kissing. Damian and Maxie enjoyed a hearty laugh, their first in some time. It felt very good. Maxie grabbed his hand, "We're not that bad, are we?"  
  
"Doubt it," Damian said. "Maybe Sonny and Carly spend a lot of time kissing, I don't really know."  
  
"What was that you gave him?" Maxie asked. "The chain that he handed back, he said that you gave it to him."  
  
"It was a momento from my mother," Damian said. "She gave it to me and told me that I'd never forget her, and if I ever did, I'd just have to look at it and remember that she would always be there for me. It helped a lot after she died. The days where I would find myself crying alone in my room, thinking that I never did enough to help her and I wasn't deserving of her love."  
  
"Why would you think that?"  
  
"I was young, I was going through my teens. At least I didn't spend them doing drugs and sleeping around."  
  
Maxie lowered her eyes, "I did."  
  
Damian hugged her, "I didn't know, Maxie. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said something so insensitive."  
  
"It's fine," She said. "I've put it behind me." She pulled away, "Why would you give something like that away? It really did seem too precious just to hand out."  
  
"I don't need it," Damian said. "It was a wonderful gesture that helped me when I did, but I'm not a boy anymore, Maxie. I understand what happened, maybe not why, but I know that she loved me and that will never change. Michael's young, he's impressionable, and he needs something like that in order to act as his crutch. It will remind him of how much I care for him and hopefully make sure that he doesn't wind up in the hospital again thinking that I didn't."  
  
"You're such a good brother, and you've barely been his for such a short time."  
  
"Time doesn't matter, we're family, that's all that does."  
  
"You've got a very leveled head on your shoulders, Damian. You know that?"  
  
Damian chuckled, "So I've been told. Of course, I've also been told the opposite."  
  
"They're not seeing you for who you are, then. Don't let them bother you."  
  
"I never did," Damian replied. "However, one thing is bothering me quite a bit."  
  
Maxie cocked an eyebrow, "What is it?"  
  
"Is he really cuter than me?"  
  
Maxie giggled, "What can I say, I've always been a fan of redheads."  
  
"Oh really?" Damian asked. "You want me to dye mine?"  
  
She ran her hand through his hair, "No, I like yours the way it is."  
  
Inside Michael's room-  
  
Sonny looked out the wall window and saw his son and Maxie. "When did that happen?"  
  
Courtney walked over and smiled, "Probably when they first met. He's protective of people, women in particular. It's something that he got from his father."  
  
"Aunt Courtney!" Michael called out as he finished getting ready. "Did you stay with Uncle Jason when he came to see me?"  
  
Courtney looked down, "Michael, your Uncle Jason didn't come see you. Maybe you dreamt it."  
  
Michael shook his head and grabbed the card, "He left me this."  
  
Courtney read the card and smiled, a tear running down her cheek. "I knew you cared," She whispered as she handed Michael back the card. 


	52. Discovered

Note: Sorry about the late update, but on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I have school, so the updates won't be until I get back in the afternoon. Tomorrow it should be up around noon, though.  
  
Elsewhere in General Hospital-  
  
The things that go on in someone's head are, at times, more than a bit scary. They can be downright haunting if given the chance. For Zander Smith the latter was true, much to his dismay. He dreamt of Emily, how much he loved her. How much he hated it when she was with Nikolas, keeping from him the fact that she was slowly dying from the same cancer that had killed her biological mother and had also affected Monica at one point in life. He saw their marriage, one built on love, but destroyed by the love for another man. For Nikolas. Emily was his heart and soul, the one person in life that he felt he could depend on to never intentionally hurt him. He couldn't depend on his father, or his brother, or his mother. He had no one except Emily, and now he didn't even have that anymore. She was in love with another. She didn't care about how much it hurt the man that would always love her no matter what. All she wanted was Nikolas. The memories that they had, the happy ones, they couldn't filter out how it all ended. The hate, the anger, the mistrust. Zander tossed in the bed and woke up when they became too much, "Emily!"  
  
"Not quite," Faith said as she walked up from the other end of the room. "Did you have a bad dream, baby?"  
  
"What happened?" Zander asked. "Why am I in the hospital?"  
  
"You hit your head last night, don't you remember?"  
  
"No," Zander replied. "The last thing I remember was the gun going off."  
  
"Well, you fell after the bullet hit your shoulder," Faith informed him. "Thanks for taking the bullet, by the way."  
  
"You didn't really give me a choice, did you?" Zander asked. "You pretty much pushed me into the way of the bullet."  
  
"It was either that or ruin my favorite jacket with my blood," Faith smiled. "Do you know how hard it is to get blood out of that fabric?"  
  
"Your concern over my health is truly touching, Faith," Zander mused. "At least I know where I stand on the scale of things in your eyes. Somewhere beneath your clothes."  
  
Faith playfully batted at his nose with her index finger. "Silly little lackey, everything takes second priority behind my clothing. I thought you knew that."  
  
"You could have just gotten a new coat, you have enough money."  
  
"It wouldn't have the sentimental value," Faith replied. "That couldn't be replaced."  
  
"What's so sentimental about that coat?" Zander wondered.  
  
"It's the coat that I make you take a bullet for. It has untouchable value to me."  
  
"Are we done here?" Zander was losing his cool.  
  
"I'm not done looking at you in that hospital gown. It doesn't leave very much to the imagination. Maybe I should have you go out in one every day."  
  
"I wouldn't do it."  
  
"You always think that you have a choice when it comes to the orders that I give you, don't you, Zander?" Faith shook her head. "I'm afraid that isn't the case. See, you do what I tell you to do, and if you're lucky and manage to live through it you get the cash prizes."  
  
"How much do I get for taking the bullet?"  
  
"Actually, you owe me for taking the bullet," Faith giggled. "Someone had to pay the bill for you to stay in here. You really should look into getting some health insurance. Maybe the one with Snoopy on the commercials."  
  
"That's life insurance, Faith."  
  
"Oh," Faith looked the other way. "No sense in you getting any of that, now is there? You goons have such a short life span."  
  
"Can we talk about something that doesn't involve you making me look like the most insignificant person on the face of the Earth?"  
  
"That might be a little hard, Zander." Faith thought about it for a moment. "But, I suppose I should appease you. After all, your body made such a wonderful human shield. Who do you think did it?"  
  
"You've got a whole lot of enemies, Faith," Zander reminded her.  
  
"I can't help it if I'm popular."  
  
"Sonny and Alcazar are at the top of that list."  
  
Faith smiled, "Lorenzo and I have a deal. If I don't try and hurt the object of his desire in any way, he won't make a move against me."  
  
"Since when do you take the word of another person? Especially a man?"  
  
"When the man has more power than I do," Faith retorted. "I might not like admitting it, but Lorenzo could easily wipe me off the map without breaking a sweat. If playing a small part of the game by his rules keeps me alive then who am I to risk my life? Yours I would in a heartbeat, but never mine."  
  
"Which leaves Sonny and Jason."  
  
"Sonny's too busy acting like a wounded puppy over his bastard child's rejection," Faith laughed. "I don't think they even care about anything that I'm doing. Besides, I know the people that work for Sonny, none of them were there."  
  
"I'm running out of options," Zander said.  
  
"Maybe you are, but I'm not," Faith got up. "Someone tried to take my seat of power, someone that I've never seen before. I'll make sure that I never see them again."  
  
"How are you going to do that?"  
  
"I'll find a way. I'm very resourceful when my own life is put in danger over something." Faith grabbed her bag and went for the door, "Rest up, pet. I'll take you back home later tonight. For now I'm going to go idea shopping."  
  
"Bring me back something nice."  
  
"You have your life, Zander. What more could you want?" Faith walked out.  
  
Elsewhere inside the Hospital-  
  
"It's great that he's better, Damian, but I can't help but feel bad that you made him sad when he left."  
  
"He wanted me to go back with him and live with Sonny and Carly again, I can't do that. I told him over and over again that it won't be happening anytime soon."  
  
"I know," Maxie muttered. "Couldn't you have just spent a couple more minutes with him, though?"  
  
"I'll go visit him before the end of the day, make sure everything is okay."  
  
"And if he asks you to stay again?" Maxie asked.  
  
"I'll tell him the same thing I told him before." Damian sighed, "The last thing I want to do is hurt my little brother, but there isn't much that I can do that wouldn't hurt him somehow."  
  
"At least he went home today. You didn't have to miss any school."  
  
"And I can go visit my grandparents next weekend."  
  
Maxie looked at him, "You're going back to L.A?"  
  
"Just for the weekend," Damian replied. "There are some things that I need to take care of with them."  
  
"You want to talk about them?"  
  
Damian shook his head, "Maybe another time, when I'm comfortable with what's going on. I don't know how to feel about it, Maxie. I have to talk to them about it. I have to know the truth and hear it from them."  
  
"Our first weekend as a couple and you won't even be here," Maxie pouted slightly.  
  
"Please tell me you're not one of those people that has anniversary's for the most trivial things," Damian's eyes were full of worry. "The last thing I want is for us to have one of those 'the first time we heard this song' days."  
  
"I'm not," Maxie said. "I'll just miss you, that's all."  
  
"It's only the weekend."  
  
"Will you tell them about me?" Maxie asked.  
  
"Of course I will!" Damian smiled. "You're the best thing that's happened to me in a long time, how could I not ramble about you for hours on end?"  
  
"Well, you don't need to talk for hours," Maxie said.  
  
"I'll try to limit myself, but I'm not going to make any promises."  
  
"My shift is about to start," Maxie said looking at her watch. "I need to go change."  
  
"You want me to stay here for a bit?"  
  
Maxie grinned, "No, thank you. You've been here for too long. Go back to the apartment, get some rest."  
  
"If you insist," Damian replied as he leaned in to kiss her. "Call you later."  
  
"If you don't, I'll call you."  
  
Damian nodded, "Bye."  
  
Maxie walked off to another part of the hospital. Now she didn't have to worry about Michael and Damian while she worked. It took a lot of weight off her shoulders. And for that she was thankful.  
  
Faith grinned as she watched from the hallway, "So, the most powerful criminal in the immediate area's son has a thing for the Commissioner's daughter? This could have some potential."  
  
14 


	53. Roadblocks

Kelly's-  
  
While it had only been a day since Damian had last set foot inside the place he called home it felt much longer to him. Perhaps the fatigue caused by his constant state of worry of Michael's health had finally caught up to him. The largest part of his soul cried out for the bed inside his room, with it's plush pillows and soft blankets, a very big upgrade from the cold wooden chair he had slept in the night prior. While he was extremely tired he presented himself well, not crawling on the ground looking for some help up the stairs. Elizabeth came in from the back and saw her friend making his way up the stairs, "Hey, Damian!"  
  
Damian stopped himself and turned around, not wanting to be rude towards Elizabeth. He traveled back down the stairs and smiled, "Hi."  
  
"Is everything okay? I didn't see you come back before I finished my shift last night, I was a little bit worried."  
  
"I'm fine, Elizabeth."  
  
"And what about Michael?"  
  
"He's already out of the hospital," Damian told her.  
  
"That was fast," Elizabeth remarked. She quickly corrected herself, "I mean, getting out of the hospital fast tends to be a good thing, doesn't it?"  
  
Damian chuckled, "You don't need to cover your tracks, I know what you meant. Yeah, we're lucky that it wasn't something more long term. He just had a really hard time adjusting to everything that it kind of gave his brain a momentary overload."  
  
"That poor little boy," Elizabeth mused, partly to herself.  
  
"He's fine now, and that's all that matters to us."  
  
"He's fine now, Damian," Elizabeth said. "Michael gets put through so much on a daily basis because of his parents. They can't keep on stressing the poor boy out because one day it will be too much and they won't be as lucky as they have in the past."  
  
"Sonny and Carly may have a lot of faults, but they're good parents and they love Michael and Morgan very much."  
  
"I'm not denying that they love their children, but sometimes love isn't enough. You can love someone more than anything else in the world and still not treat them the way that they deserve to be treated." When she said that her mind flashed to her marriage with Ric. How much he claimed to love her, how much she knew that he did love her, and how much it hurt when he would always let his inner demons rule his life. She was still very happy that Ric had since changed, or at least he appeared to have changed.  
  
"They didn't mean for it to happen," Damian, oddly enough, found himself defending Sonny and Carly, which was one of the last things he ever thought he would do. He knew how much they cared about Michael, and he wouldn't let anyone, not even a friend, discredit them unfairly.  
  
"They never mean for it to happen," Elizabeth told him. "That doesn't mean that it hasn't happened before, and it won't happen again."  
  
"Are you saying that they're unfit parents?"  
  
"I don't know what I'm saying!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "I just don't want to see those boys get hurt anymore."  
  
"Nobody does."  
  
"Then why don't Sonny and Carly take the steps that they need to in order to prevent it from happening again?" Elizabeth asked. "As long as they stay in Port Charles they're constantly placing Michael and Morgan into the firing zone caused by their daily activities. Sonny's been marked for dead plenty of times, Damian. The people that want to see him dead won't stop to think about killing those children in order to make sure that he does eventually die. The same can be said for you, you know. The minute that they find out who you are and what your connection is to Sonny you're going to be a target."  
  
"I wouldn't be a very good bargaining chip," Damian said.  
  
"Why? Because you're not living with you father? Because you're trying to keep yourself untainted with the life that they lead?" Elizabeth shook her head, "I'm only telling you this because you're my friend and I don't want to see you get hurt. When I started being in a relationship with Jason I thought the same thing that you do, that I wouldn't have to worry about anything because I'm not a part of their life, because I was something completely different from what Jason was involved with. But I was wrong. Jason warned me about what kinds of risks I was taking by being in his life. He told me that it didn't matter if I was in the mob or not, I could still be used as a pawn by someone at some time."  
  
"I'll deal with that when I cross the road it leads to, Elizabeth. Right now all I want is to continue with my education and build a better relationship with the people in this town. That can wait until I get some sleep, though."  
  
"You tired?" Elizabeth wondered.  
  
"Tired isn't the right word for it," Damian said. "Completely drained would be a much better way of explaining how I'm feeling at the moment. But it was worth it. If I had to spend another day at the hospital, even another week, I would."  
  
"You're so dedicated to your family."  
  
"It's the way I was raised, I suppose. Big family, a whole lot of things that happened where we'd all get together. Even though I wasn't exactly comfortable around everyone, I still went. I can't deny family, no matter what."  
  
"Then why are you here instead of with Sonny?"  
  
"I'm giving Sonny and Carly time to make sure that Michael is really okay with everything," Damian replied. "They're his parents, they should be the ones to make sure of such things, not me."  
  
Elizabeth shook her head again, "That's not what I meant. Why aren't you still living with Sonny?"  
  
"Because he lied to me, you know that."  
  
"But you just said that you couldn't deny family."  
  
"It's not the same," Damian told her. "If Sonny needed me for something I couldn't say no. I can't live with him, but that doesn't mean I won't be at his bedside if he ends up getting shot at."  
  
"You might have to," Elizabeth remarked. She looked over, "I've got to work some more, but I'm really glad everything turned out okay."  
  
"Thanks. Now I can get some sleep." Damian tried to go for the stairs.  
  
"Hey, Damian."  
  
Damian hung his lead low, "Or not."  
  
"I'm so glad that I ran into you!" Georgie rushed up and tugged at his wrist gently.  
  
"Hello, Georgie," Damian replied, making sure that she wasn't able to tell that he really didn't want to talk with anyone at the moment. It wasn't her fault that he was so tired. Although he would give just about anything for her to just go away.  
  
"Maxie called me and told me that Michael's been checked out of the hospital. I'm so happy."  
  
"Thank you. We all are."  
  
"I want you to meet someone."  
  
"Could it wait?" Damian was almost begging, he really did want to get some rest.  
  
"It won't take but a few minutes, and you're both right here!" Georgie turned behind her, "Dillon, come here!"  
  
Dillon complied with his girlfriend almost instantly. "What is it?"  
  
"This is Damian, Maxie's boyfriend." She turned to Damian once more, "Damian, this is Dillon, my boyfriend."  
  
Damian offered his hand out to Dillon, "Maxie's mentioned you a few times."  
  
Dillon grinned, "All of it good, I hope."  
  
Damian shrugged, "So far she's only had good things to say about you, but we don't really go indepth or anything."  
  
"I was telling Dillon how much I wanted him to meet you now that you and Maxie are a couple," Georgie gripped Dillon's hand tightly. "Maybe we could go on a double date."  
  
"I think Maxie would rather that we have our first date date be one that we do alone, no offense."  
  
"You two haven't even gone out yet?" Dillon asked.  
  
"That depends on your preception of a date, I suppose. I saved her from a raving lunatic, she came to me when I was on the verge of a breakdown and then when Michael was in the hospital she was there as well. Any of those count?"  
  
"I don't think so," Dillon noted with an uneasy chuckle. They had gotten off to a rough start, Damian and Maxie. At least they were there for each other. And it wasn't like he and Georgie had some storybook romance, they had their fair share of troubles as well.  
  
"What are you going to do?" Georgie asked.  
  
"Sleep," Damian instantly replied.  
  
"I meant for the date," Georgie smiled.  
  
"I think better when I've had a comfortable rest, Georgie."  
  
"Come on, Georgie," Dillon pulled her away. "The poor guy has been through a lot, the last thing that he needs is you asking him a whole bunch of questions. Nice meeting you."  
  
"Sorry we couldn't talk longer, I'm sure we'll get the chance soon enough." Damian almost bolted up the stairs so that someone else didn't come in and find him standing there.  
  
Dillon rolled his eyes. Mac was acting so much like Mac that it wasn't even funny. He didn't see anything wrong with Damian.  
  
18 


	54. A Past With No Importance

Joy- Let me tell you that your name sums up what I felt when I saw someone had reviewed the story again! 8 days and not a comment from anyone, I was starting to feel like no one cared. Insecure, me? You bet. Anywho, I really hope that you didn't read this all in one sitting, because it's like 250 pages, and I really wouldn't want someone to have to sit through all of that just within the span of a few hours. If you did, I am really sorry. I seriously did not anticipate that the story would be this long, although it is a pleasant surprise knowing that I can keep something going for such an extended period of time. It's probably like 3/4ths of the way done, and that's a very rough estimate. Thank you for praising me as a writer. I do try very hard to be the best that I can be when it comes to writing, and tackling this was something that I looked on as a true challenge, mostly because of my very limited knowledge of the world that these characters live in. People that have been writing for several years would have a much better chance of doing things the way that they should be done than someone who barely had half a year watching the show with any sense of regularity, but as I've been told, I'm doing pretty good with the characterization and the backstory, and for that I'm very thankful. I will say this, though, and I don't think I'm being mean at all. I enjoy writing my story and knowing what comes out of my head more than I do with most of what is happening on the soap at the moment. That's not to say that I'm a better writer at the characters than those that actually get paid to do it, I just find it more entertaining and less hokey. After all, I don't have people running around looking for treasure and doing flashbacks to the times when they looked like pirates, right? Plus, GH is seriously trying to destroy every single good relationship that is on the show at the same time. I realize that soaps are supposed to be about the ups and downs that happen to the characters that inhabit the city, but they're dissolving GQ, S/C, and to a lesser extent Journey all at the same time while trying to shove NEm down our throats, and I for one don't much like it. Even though I've got plenty of S/C conflict in here, and still more coming up, at least it's the only relationship that is teetering, and even then it won't be destroyed completely. Of course, none of us believe that the show will end S/C for good, because that would be stupid. One of the things that I feared when it came to creating Damian was that people wouldn't like him. I know how original characters go, they're pretty much used as a ploy for the writer to do something that they want to place themselves into the story for, and while that is partially true for Damian (He is basically a character that I would love to play in the off chance that I could act and get on the show, and in a lot of ways is an extension of myself as a person) I certainly don't go to the levels that some of the less shameless people do. I try and keep Damian as true to the other characters as I possibly can, and I'm pleased that no one has said that they hate him. Of course, these people could just be keeping quiet, although I would like to know that some people have a problem with him and why they do. I agree that such a character would be good for the show, because it would give Sonny the humanity that he's very quickly losing, not to mention throwing in an actual MINORITY on the show, giving us more than just the token African-American, who isn't even part of the core cast to begin with. I have no idea what ethnicity Sonny is, but even if he is a minority he really doesn't show it. I've made sure that Damian shows at least part of his heritage, mostly by calling his grandparents names that people of Hispanic descent would call their grandparents. It's a very small thing, but considerable to who I want him to be as a character. Plus, the Maxie factor is indeed true. If they kill her in the fire, I will not be pleased. As for an actor, again, outside of the sheer vanity that comes with casting myself, I could see Jay Hernandez as Damian, yes. I haven't really watched Crazy Beautiful, but what I did see was certainly not something I didn't like. Another possibility would be that guy who played the lead role in the short lived Skin, I don't recall his name, but he looks like he could be the Damian type. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, any support makes me a very happy person. Sorry I rambled, but apparently I had a lot more to say than I thought.  
  
With that taken care of it's time for the story-  
  
Corninthos Household-  
  
Although the house was not decorated with flashing signs that proudly displayed 'Welcome Home, Michael,' the air that radiated from the home was giving that particular vibe off strongly enough that the signs were not needed. Everyone was happy to see Michael back where he belonged.  
  
"I can't believe it's only been a day," Michael said as Sonny placed him down.  
  
"It felt like so much longer," Carly knelt down and hugged her son. "So much longer."  
  
Michael grabbed her tightly, "Mommy, I'm sorry I scared you. I'm sorry I yelled at you. I shouldn't have been so mean about everything. It wasn't fair to you."  
  
"You don't need to apologize for anything, baby. What happened wasn't your fault, and I don't ever want you thinking that it was. You didn't do anything wrong. You understand that, don't you?"  
  
"I do now," Michael told her. "You and daddy have fights sometimes, but you still love each other and you still love me and Morgan. Just because Damian isn't here doesn't mean that he doesn't care about us. Right?"  
  
Carly nodded, "Exactly."  
  
Jason walked down the stairs, holding Morgan in his arms. Jason looked at the baby, "See, I told you that he was going to come home today."  
  
Michael turned around, "Uncle Jason!"  
  
Courtney quickly took Morgan in her arms so that Jason could prepare himself for Michael's charge. He was strong enough to hold Michael with no problem, but holding both Michael and Morgan was certainly out of the question. The last thing they needed was another trip to the hospital. Jason grabbed Michael in his arms, "You know better than to worry all of us like that."  
  
"I didn't mean to."  
  
"I know you didn't, buddy."  
  
"You mad at me?" Michael asked lightly.  
  
"Of course not."  
  
Sonny called out to the boy, "Hey, Mike, how about you come with me to the kitchen and I make you whatever you want!"  
  
"Can I help you make it, daddy?" Michael asked. "I promise I won't make a mess like last time."  
  
Sonny grinned, "Even if you did, I wouldn't care. Come on."  
  
Jason placed Michael down and the boy bolted to the kitchen with his father. Carly laughed and felt like everything that she had been worrying about for the last two days had been completely wiped away. "It's so great to see them talking again."  
  
"We had a scare," Courtney said. "But we all knew that Michael was going to be okay. How could he not? He's a fighter."  
  
"Just like his godparents," Carly wrapped her arms around them both and sobbed gently. "I really don't know what I'd do if I didn't have the two of you to help me with everything. Have I told you how much I love you?"  
  
"Not lately," Courtney joked. "But you don't need to tell us anything, Carly. We help because we love you and we love the boys like they were our own children."  
  
"We're just happy we could help a little," Jason added.  
  
"You've helped more than a little, Jase," Carly said. "Why is it whenever I have a problem I can count on you to help me?"  
  
"Carly, don't think about anything that will make you sad. Not right now. Now isn't the time for stuff like that. You're supposed to be happy, your son is fine and he's back home where he belongs." Jason looked into her eyes," Go be with your family." It was an order, but Jason always had to order Carly around at some point. He did it in a way that was more of a suggestion than anything, and that was why Carly was welcome to whatever Jason would tell her. She knew that she could trust him with the lives of herself and her children. It was a faith that was rock solid, even when the world seemed to crumble around them both.  
  
"I'm going to go check on the boys," Carly said. "Hopefully I can keep them from making a mess of the kitchen." She grabbed Morgan from Courtney's arms, "You want to go see daddy cook, Morgan? Maybe you can get a few pointers and become a chef. Or at least learn how to do something more than make toast. You'd be a better cook than mommy if you could." Carly held Morgan in her grasp and walked away.  
  
Courtney looked at Jason, "I know you went there last night."  
  
Jason turned to her, "You were right. I realized that after you left. He needed to know that I was going to be there for him no matter what."  
  
"Why didn't you stay?" Courtney asked. "I mean, the card was great, it let Michael know what you wanted him to know, but he would have loved you being there, even for a few minutes."  
  
Jason shook his head, "I couldn't do it, Courtney. I couldn't stare into those eyes of his and not be able to give him some sort of answer. He wouldn't ask me what was wrong with him because he couldn't, but I know he'd be thinking about it and he'd look to me for what he was looking for. I had to make sure that I saw him when he was asleep, because if he wasn't, I would have been crushed. Going there was bad enough. When you've been in the hospital it's been hard, but it's been something that I could understand. With Michael we didn't have anything but a bunch of speculation. It reminded me too much of my accident, of what I lost."  
  
"You still think about it, don't you?"  
  
"How can I not?" Jason replied. "I was a different person when I was Jason Quartermaine. I've heard the stories, seen the home movies. I hate having such a large part of my life be nothing but haze. I wish I could make it come back."  
  
Courtney hugged him, "If you could, would you leave us?"  
  
"Why are you asking me this?"  
  
She pulled away and looked at him, her eyes wide. "You said it yourself, Jason. Jason Quartermaine and Jason Morgan are two entirely different people. If you could remember who you were, you'd have to make a choice. The Quartermaine's wouldn't want to share you with anyone."  
  
"I know," Jason said. "That's why, even if I could remember everything, I wouldn't go back to them. A part of me would be happy that Alan and Monica could look at me and not feel the regret that they have now when I see them. But the Quartermaine's don't let you act anything but the way that they want you to act. I've think I've always known that. When I see how I was I find myself wondering how I could act like that, and then I look around and know that it's because I was raised to be like that. You let me be who I am, even when you have problems with it. I need to feel that I'm not being controlled."  
  
"I love you, Jason. And that love is unconditional."  
  
Jason kissed Courtney, "Mine is, too."  
  
Lorenzo's Home-  
  
The phone rang as Lorenzo sat on the couch awaiting any news for the varied things that he was involved with at the moment. Of course, there was one matter that seemed to be the most important. As usual, it involved Carly, the woman of his dreams, however twisted those dreams may have been. He was pained because he knew that she was dealing with the problem of her child's illness. He had his best people searching the globe for doctors that could give them answers that he could give her. The easiest way to Carly's heart was through her children. If he could provide her with answers that Sonny could not it would be just another reason that he was a much better man for her than Sonny ever could be. "Yes?" He spoke into the reciever as he picked up the phone.  
  
"Mr. Alcazar?" Lorenzo could tell from the voice that it was his contant at the hospital.  
  
"Has there been an update on the condition of Michael Corinthos?"  
  
"He has been checked out. The momentary inability to speak has been dealt with. Carly and Sonny took him home already."  
  
"I see," Lorenzo said softly. "Thank you for the information. If he gets checked in again, please keep me informed." Lorenzo hung up the phone and sighed. The bigger part of himself was happy because with Michael no longer ill he knew that Carly would be in a better state of mind, but there was still the part of him that always wanted to be her knight in shining armor. He had a window and now it had closed without him taking the chance. There were still plenty of ways that he could gain her favor. He thought of them and smiled. A moment later he thought of the boy, of Damian. Already there was so much mistrust between father and son. He could easily manipulate that into his favor. After all, Damian had already came to him looking for answers. He placed more worth on Lorenzo's word than he did his own father's. Lorenzo could use that. But he knew that Damian wasn't an idiot. He hated Sonny's life, and knew that Alcazar had a similar way of handling things. Why would he turn away from one mobster only to go into the camp of another? Lorenzo doubted that Damian loathed his father that much. "You're a very complex piece of the gameboard, Mr. Zuniga. It will make you all the more fun to break down, I suppose." Lorenzo smiled as he walked out of his house, he had things to do. 


	55. Plans

Joy- One thing that I really try and do with this story is make sure that people don't have to wait that long for an update. I don't think I've had a day where I didn't update since I started in mid-December, but I could be wrong. If I did have such days, they were few and far between. Anyway, while Damian is the main character of the story I do try and give people their own time to shine, as you have said. If that means keeping him out of the picture from time to time, then so be it. As for Ned, I don't really like him at all, and will probably never use him in this story, sorry. You're not the only one who wishes that Lorenzo would just go away (points to Shamira), but he's an important part of the story and hasn't started his real power play just yet. Sadly, Carly would probably like the manipulation, since, if Damian did work for Lorenzo Sonny would find himself very displeased with his child and probably just stop trying to be around him, and that would make Carly very happy. Still, since you requested it (well, it was really already planned, but you got lucky), here's a whole lot of Damian, just for you!  
  
Story-  
  
Damian's Apartment-  
  
He groggily looked at the alarm clock with a half-opened eye. He had gotten several hours of sleep, but they weren't enough. He acknowledged the fact that he had things that needed to be done, and the sleep could wait. Besides, he had gotten a few good hours, which were a few good hours more than the horrid sleep he had gotten at the hospital. Damian reached over for his cell phone and picked it up. His eyes adjusted to the small screen as he pushed the first button on the phone, already programmed to send the call over the country to his grandparents. It started to ring and Damian quickly became impatient, he hoped that they were home. It was Sunday, but it was already the afternoon, church should have been over with.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Julia?" Damian noticed the voice of one of the many cousins he had. She was 10, and was one of the few tolerable relatives that he had.  
  
"Who is this?" She wondered.  
  
"It's Damian."  
  
"Oh," She said. "Why are you calling?"  
  
"I want to talk to Nana or Papi, are they home?"  
  
"Yeah," She handed the phone over to their grandmother.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Nana, it's me."  
  
She smiled on the other end of the phone, "Damian, what is it?"  
  
"Can I come home this upcoming weekend?" Damian asked. "I mean, you're not going to be out of town or anything, are you?"  
  
"No, we don't have any plans," She replied as she eyed the girl attempting to get into the cookie jar. "Julia, stay out of that jar, you'll spoil your brunch!"  
  
"She's not going to listen, you know."  
  
"Oh, she'd better listen."  
  
"You're not going to get the chankla, are you?"  
  
"If I have to."  
  
That sent a shudder down Damian's spine. He had memories of the dreaded sandal being used as a means of punishment. He might have had a few marks left from the few times he was deemed bad enough to be on the receiving end of the chankla. Thankfully, they were few and far between, but they left an impact on him. "Just give her a cookie, one won't hurt."  
  
"I suppose. All right, you get one, just one." She turned to the phone again, "Why do you try and protect her?"  
  
"You raised me to protect my family, didn't you?" He replied.  
  
"I suppose we did. Why do you want to come home so soon?"  
  
"I need to talk to you about something," He told her without getting into the situation too heavily.  
  
"You can ask me anything over the phone, honey. You know that."  
  
"I just need to talk to you face to face, you and Papi."  
  
"Is something the matter?"  
  
"Please," He said softly. "I don't want to talk about it over the phone."  
  
"Are you okay? Tell me that much."  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine."  
  
She relaxed a little, but she was still not entirely sure what Damian wanted. "If it's that important to you, which I think it is, we'll talk about it together when you get here. You sure you can't talk about it over the phone?"  
  
"Positive," He told her quickly. "I'll find a flight out in a couple minutes, I'm actually going somewhere."  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"To go see someone," Damian kept the specifics out of his grandmother's mind. He hated being so cryptic with her, but if she knew where he was going she would also find out why he wanted to come back home so much. He wanted to be the one to tell them both that he knew about Elias's past, he didn't want them to find out by beating around the bush. "I'm sure you've got a whole lot of things to get ready for brunch. Tell everyone I said hello, would you?"  
  
"Of course. Bye, Damian."  
  
Damian closed the phone and thought about what she was likely doing. Sunday's were hectic at the Zuniga house. The family always got together for a post-church meal where they would talk about things that had happened. Damian didn't really like the meals, but he'd stay outside for the most part, usually because he knew how much having the entire family together meant to his grandparents. Family meant more to them than anything. That was probably why Sonny's boss had Sonny do what he did with Ana-Maria. She was Elias's precious daughter. He didn't have time to make any speculations at the moment, he would find the answers when he went home.  
  
Damian walked downstairs a few minutes later. Elizabeth was still working. She remembered that she was supposed to tell him something but didn't get the chance when she saw him earlier that day. "Damian, you got a minute?"  
  
Damian turned and sat on the stool, "Yeah, what is it?"  
  
"Ric told me that he got the results from Kyle's autopsy back, and the things that they found in his system clear you of any speculation to his death."  
  
"I didn't kill him."  
  
She nodded, "And now everyone will believe you."  
  
"They should have believed me when I told them I didn't in the first place," Damian repiled somewhat bitterly.  
  
"They were just doing their job," Elizabeth said softly. "You can't blame them for thinking that you might have had something to do with it."  
  
"Because of who my father is?" Damian asked.  
  
"That's a big reason for it, yes. The other being that you did get into a fight with him the day before."  
  
"He deserved the punch I gave him," Damian said. "No one should treat people like that, especially women."  
  
"You're a better man than he could have ever attempted to be," Elizabeth told him. "Don't let anyone else make you think that you didn't do the right thing."  
  
"I won't," Damian got off the stool. "I'm going to check in on Michael at Sonny's. Thanks for the information and the advice, Elizabeth."  
  
She smiled, "Anytime."  
  
Damian walked out of the diner and dialed a number on his phone, standing outside Kelly's as he waited for someone to pick the line up. "Hello? Yes, I'd like to book a flight from New York to Los Angeles, please. Late Thursday or Early Friday if possible with a return on that Sunday. No, coach is fine. Damian Zuniga. Yes, I'll pay with cash when I get there. No, I don't need anything else, thank you." Damian closed the phone. There were no flights on Thursday that were open for him, but he did get an early morning Friday flight. It would give him enough time to find out more about his past. With a flight booked he headed out towards Sonny's.  
  
Faith watched on from a safe distance, an evil grin on the face of the widow. "Junior's leaving the nest already? That gives me an idea."  
  
24 


	56. Answers From the 'Help'

Note: The story has surpassed 100000 words posted on the site!!! Of course, a good portion of those words are my replies to reviews, but, nonetheless, I'm quite happy. Also, in case you didn't notice, site's going to be down for most of Sunday. I will TRY and post something as soon as it comes back online, not like I have to watch the super bowl or do anything entirely relevant to take away my time. So, the update will come, but it will only come as early as the site will allow. Given the history I've had with this site in my two years of being a member, it can take awhile.  
  
Joy- Fear the dreaded sandal of doom!!! I had been threatened with its evil ways and how it would be used across my bottom with nothing but pure malicious intent many a time in my life, although I don't remember ever actually getting one. The thought alone brings back very uncomfortable memories. Mention that word to any adult person of Hispanic descent and you'll probably see them shudder, it's the way we work, it is. I intend on throwing in as many things that give Damian a link to his ethnic heritage, because it is a big part of who he is. As for Faith being after him now as well, it gives me something to do with her, and I love using her. Besides, we can just assume that the people of Port Charles really have nothing better to do than torture Sonny and his kids. Of course, that's probably because the people of Port Charles really do have nothing better to do than torture Sonny and his kids, but I digress. Thanks for the review, keep them coming if you don't mind!  
  
Story-  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
There wasn't a very big mess to clean up. It wasn't entirely clear if it was Carly's watchful eye or the mere whim of God that there was not a huge mess across the kitchen. All parties involved were very much in favor of the latter. Michael was very pleased with the food that he had chosen, evident by the fact that all of it was gone from the plate and safely inside his stomach.  
  
Outside the penthouse, Damian stood there looking at the closed door. He didn't figure that he would ever be coming back to the penthouse after leaving in such a huff the last time. But he was here, and it was more important that he showed Michael his support and love than it was that he stay away from the place that had brought him little more than pain. He could swallow his pride, if only for a few hours at a time.  
  
"They're in there, you know."  
  
Damian almost jumped at the unexpected voice that spoke from behind him. Damian turned around, "Max, sorry, I was thinking about something."  
  
"I didn't mean to scare you, Damian."  
  
"I know, but I guess I just scare easily."  
  
"You're all a little jumpy after what happened with Michael," Max said. "I imagine that Mr. and Mrs. Corinthos didn't get much sleep over the night."  
  
"I know I didn't." Damian looked at the guard. A question popped into his head, one that he really wanted to have answered. "Max, can I ask you something?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Do you like working for Sonny?"  
  
Max looked at Damian somewhat oddly, "What do you mean?"  
  
Damian elaborated, "As far as what you do goes, is Sonny one of the better people around."  
  
Max nodded, "Most certainly. Mr. Corinthos is one of the best people that I've ever met. He treats people with respect, even if they do work for him and not with him. A lot of people with his position wouldn't be as nice. I've had other employeers that would make me do things that I never wanted to do simply because they knew that they had that kind of clout over me. Mr. Corinthos isn't like that unless he needs to be. He doesn't throw his weight around to impress people, and that in itself makes me respect him as a person rather than as my boss." Max was silent for a moment, "Does that answer your question?"  
  
Damian nodded, "Thanks, Max. I'll go and pay Michael a visit now." Damian walked over to the door and knocked on it.  
  
Sonny opened the door, "You came?"  
  
"Is Michael up?" Damian asked. "If he's asleep I can come back another time."  
  
"No, he's up." Sonny held the door open, "Come on in." When Damian was inside the house Sonny shut the door. "You know, I don't want you to think that you can only come here just to see Michael. You can stop by and talk to me if you want."  
  
"Thanks," Damian said.  
  
"I wouldn't mind if you just stopped by to talk with me."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"I want to build a better relationship with you, Damian, you know that." Sonny sat on the arm of the couch, "I just wish that you would give it a chance."  
  
"I wish I could, Sonny, but I can't."  
  
Sonny hung his head down a little, "At least you're being honest."  
  
"I'm never anything but honest, Sonny," Damian replied. "At times I can be brutally honest, and hurt people when I don't really mean to. I know I've done that to you a few times, and I really am sorry about it."  
  
"I've deserved it with everything that I've put you through," Sonny retorted. "I should just be happy that you're talking to me, even if it is distant conversation at best."  
  
Michael came plowing into the room from the kitchen and saw Damian, "I knew you'd come back!"  
  
"Just for a visit, Michael," Damian told him.  
  
"I know, and I'm okay with you just being here for a little while. As long as you're here I'm happy."  
  
"I'm going away this weekend," Damian said.  
  
"Away?" Michael asked.  
  
"I'm going to spend the weekend with my family back home in Los Angeles. I've already got a flight ready and everything. I leave Friday morning."  
  
"But you're coming back, aren't you?" Michael seemed a little worried.  
  
"Of course I am," Damian grinned. "Why would you think I wouldn't?"  
  
"Well, you're going back to the family that you like. Why would you come back if you didn't have any reason to?"  
  
Damian knelt down next to Michael, "You're plenty of reason to come back here, kid. Besides, I've got that whole school thing that I need to do up here as well."  
  
"Maxie would be sad if you left her, too." Michael grinned, "She likes you a lot, doesn't she?"  
  
"I don't think she'd put up with me if she didn't like me."  
  
"Maybe you could bring her with you when you come and see me," Michael suggested.  
  
"I'll see what I can do. I'm sure she'd love to spend some time with you. She was worried about you when you were in the hospital just like the rest of us."  
  
Carly walked in and saw Damian talking with Michael. For once she didn't feel that disgusted in with him in eyesight, but she was still unnerved. "Come on, Mr. Man! I'm sure Morgan wants you to help me put him in for his nap."  
  
Michael looked at his mother, "Okay, mommy. Can I give him his bottle?"  
  
Carly smiled, "If you want."  
  
"I'll be back down in a little while!" Michael called to Damian as he rushed up the stairs behind his mother.  
  
Damian laughed, "Even when he's been in a bed for over a day, he's still full of energy."  
  
"He hadn't really acted like that since you left, you know," Sonny said. "He wasn't the same person when he thought you didn't care about him anymore."  
  
"Why did you let him think that?" Damian asked.  
  
"I didn't," Sonny countered. "I tried to tell him so many times that you would always care about him because you're his brother, but he wouldn't listen. He had to hear it from you."  
  
"He knows now, that's what's important."  
  
"I agree," Sonny said. "You know, if you want, I can have one of my jets fly you back down to LA anytime you want. You don't have to worry about sharing the plane with a bunch of strangers, it could just be you."  
  
"I can manage on my own, thanks."  
  
"At least let me pay for the ticket."  
  
Damian shook his head, "I don't want you to do that, Sonny. I appreciate the offer, but you're already paying for a year of school and my rent, you've done enough. I'll pay you back the money that I owe you for that, I promise."  
  
"You don't owe me anything, I'm your father, I'm glad to help you when I can."  
  
"Still, I don't feel right."  
  
"Look," Sonny began, "You helped save Michael from himself. That alone is worth all the money in the world to me. You don't owe me anything. I owe you more than I could ever hope to repay."  
  
"If you feel that strongly about it," Damian conceeded.  
  
"You're going back home to talk with Elias about what I told you, right?"  
  
"I just need to hear him tell me about what he was."  
  
"You don't believe me."  
  
"No, I do believe you, Sonny. If I didn't, I wouldn't be going down there as soon as I could." Damian sat on the chair next to Sonny, "I really just need to have him tell me about the past."  
  
"Have you told them about me?" Sonny asked.  
  
Damian shook his head, "I was going to tell them that I found you when I got there. There's a lot that they don't know about that's happened to me since I've arrived. I'm the same person, but I've changed so much."  
  
"I wish I knew how you changed," Sonny noted. "But I guess that's just something that I will always wonder about."  
  
"I guess so," Damian replied as the two men sat in silence once more.  
  
29 


	57. NonDevlish Plotting

Kelly's, the following afternoon-  
  
While Sonny and Damian were slowly becoming much less tense around one another, it was still going to take more than a bit of working for everyone to feel completely comfortable with the varied situations that they had all been through in such a short time. Michael just watned his family together, and while he accepted that it might not happen in the way that he wanted, it wasn't entirely something that he understood. He loved them all, why couldn't that be enough to keep them together? Sonny wanted to make penance for his lie that had cost him the then fledgling bond that he was making with Damian before the boy moved out. Damian wanted to believe that his father was something more than a liar and a killer. He knew that Sonny was a good father to Michael and Morgan, but being a good father did not necessarily mean that he was a good person as well. Sonny still had a lot to do if he was ever going to show Damian that he was the type of person that could be trusted with things that father and son should confide within one another. If he would ever actually get that far was an entirely undecided factor. Damian was a harsh judge, he knew it. It wasn't entirely his fault, though. Once you've been stepped on by the basic way you live your life, as he had, it was pretty hard to allow yourself to be walked over again in a smiliar manner. Perhaps if his mother hadn't have died, Damian would have been a much more forgiving person. But if Ana-Maria had not died, he wouldn't even be in Port Charles, more than likely. He had no reason to find his father while his mother was alive, that was all he needed to be happy. What love Sonny should have provided for his son growing up, Ana-Maria provided a thousand times more just to make up for the fact that she couldn't give him the type of home that the other children around him had. If she hadn't have passed, he would have never had the notion to be a doctor. It was the catalyst of his life, for better or for worse. Carly was, as always, thinking of ways to keep people away from her family rather than let them in. She had let Courtney in at one point, but would Damian get as lucky as his aunt? If she did become less apprehensive towards him, why would that be? What would he have to do in order to get into her good graces. Bobbie had said that the fastest way to her was through her children, but she viewed the fast forging bond between Damian and Michael with little more than scorn. If it had not been for Michael's time in the hospital Carly would have viewed the relationship with nothing but scorn. However, even she could not deny that Damian had something to do with Michael's recovery, as much as he apparently did with the momentary impediment that had befallen the young boy. For that reason alone, she had tolerated Damian's prescence over the weekend, athough it was anyone's guess how long she would let that sway her opinion.  
  
For now Damian would shelve his family issues, they were always at the top of his mind, and for that reason alone he couldn't exactly be the best person that he was. He had always been more than a little too morbid, too realistic, but his world had been shattered at an age where he should have still had plenty of time left to believe in the things of fantasy. He trekked down the stairs and into the restaurant. He wasn't expecting anyone to be down there for him at that moment, so he was more than a little surprised when Dillon was also there. He didn't know much about Dillon, and he actually was probably a bit rude to the poor boy the day prior, but he was extremely tired and really didn't feel like spending time making idle chit chat with anyone then. Now, however, was a different story. "Dillon?"  
  
Dillon, who was hard at work on some small assignment for his English class, peered up from his laptop. It actually wasn't a very taxing assignment, but Dillon wasn't exactly the best student in the world. That's not to say he wasn't smart, he just didn't enjoy doing the work that was assigned to him, he would rather do the work that he felt was right. Georgie could easily finish the assignment, but she wouldn't. She wanted to keep him honest, and it was one of the best qualities that she had. Dillon smiled, "Oh, hey. Damian, right?"  
  
"Yeah, mind if I take a seat?"  
  
"No, not at all. Actually, I'm glad you're here."  
  
Damian sat down and grinned, "And why would that be?"  
  
"Because if you're here then it gives me a reason not to do this stupid essay for my class."  
  
Damian chuckled, "Believe me, Dillon, I'd kill for a chance to go back and relive the time when an essay was the most of my educational worries. Cherish these moments while you have them, because when they're gone you're going to be missing them a whole lot."  
  
"I somehow doubt that," Dillon replied blankly. "I mean, really, why do I need to tell people why I feel the way I do about a certain subject?"  
  
"Because they wouldn't know otherwise?"  
  
Dillon glared at him, "Ha."  
  
"I'm serious, Dillon. We're not mind readers, and we don't know how you feel about everything. Actually, I personally don't know anything about you outside of your name, that you're dating Georgie, and that you hate doing essays. If I were to ask you your opinion on the fact that we slaughter baby seals to make fur coats for example, how would I know what you thought about it unless you told me?"  
  
Devoid of a wit filled reply, Dillon remained silent. Finally he muttered something, "I guess you're right." He thrust his hands up in the air for a brief second, "I just wish Georgie was here. She makes everything come out so easily. I can talk to her about anything, you know? She's the only reason that I'm even passing any of my classes."  
  
"She seems really important to you," Damian observed.  
  
"She is," Dillon said. "Georgie's my reason for living in this town as long as I have. She's one of the few things that is keeping me sane, because if I didn't have her to thether me down to reality, I don't know how I'd have turned out by now."  
  
"What's the question? Damian asked.  
  
"What?"  
  
"The question," He repeated. "For your paper, what is it?"  
  
"Why am I where I am right now," Dillon told him.  
  
"Didn't you just give me an answer to that?" Damian grinned. "If you spend less time thinking about the question, it will come to you. A little something I picked up while I was taking those practice exams to get into medical school."  
  
Dillon glared at him, "You want to be a doctor?"  
  
"I want to be the type of person that can help people when they need it. Why?"  
  
"It's just something that runs in my family," Dillon told him. "We've got a few doctors, some lawyers, businessmen. It really does make me look like I'm little more than worthless to them."  
  
"Do you feel worthless?"  
  
"I guess I do sometimes," Dillon said. He couldn't explain why, maybe it was because the guy right next to him had punched Kyle, something he had done a few times before, but for some reason Dillon didn't feel like he was talking to a stranger.  
  
"You shouldn't."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because no matter what you feel, there will always be people that value you for some reason. You're never truly worthless unless you allow yourself to be that way. Georgie doesn't think you're worthless, that should be enough to keep you going."  
  
Dillon nodded, "It is. Her love, knowing that I bring a smile to her face every day, I can't let someone take that away, not even myself." Dillon looked at Damian, "Can I ask you something?"  
  
"As long as it's not about religion or politics."  
  
Dillon grinned, "How did you get so smart? You don't look that much older than me."  
  
"I'm probably not. I'm 21."  
  
"See?" Dillon said. "We were born in the same decade and yet you're giving me advice that I would go to people like my grandmother for."  
  
"Thanks, I think."  
  
"It's not an insult," Dillon mended the slightly worn fence his analogy had caused. "I just think you're smart, and not booksmart like Georgie, just smart."  
  
"I've had a lot of things happen in my life that have made me grow up a lot faster than I probably should have."  
  
Dillon didn't want to pry, it wasn't his business anyway. But he did agree, "I feel you. Sometimes it seems like everything in my life is so scripted. And I'm not the one writing the screenplay."  
  
While the two young men were engaged in conversation they did not see their respective girlfriends walking into Kelly's together. They also didn't realize that it was all part of some devious master plan for the two couples to become closer, more speficially their two beaus. Georgie giggled, "Here we were making sure that they were both here at the same time so that we could force them to talk and they're already doing it themselves."  
  
Maxie nodded, "Maybe we should just leave them alone."  
  
"Are you crazy?" Georgie asked. "We went through all that trouble, I'm not going to let the chance pass us up." Without warning Georgie walked up and hugged Dillon, kissing him on the cheek, "Hard at work, or hardly working?"  
  
"The latter," Dillon grinned.  
  
Georgie sighed, "You know that you shouldn't start off the beginning of the year not doing your work, Dillon. You need me to help you again?"  
  
Dillon gazed over at Damian, "You know, I think I got enough help from Damian to do it."  
  
Georgie looked over at Damian, "You helped him with his paper?"  
  
"I gave him some prespective that he hadn't thought about, nothing more. I didn't spend four years enduring High School just to keep the stuff I did learn during my time encased in its prison-like ways all to myself."  
  
"It's not that bad!" Georgie exclaimed. When she noticed that three pairs of eyes were looking at her with more than an obvious look of disbelief she blushed a little, "What? It's not."  
  
Damian grabbed Maxie's hand, "I'm not even going to bother guessing. You had something to do with this, didn't you?"  
  
Maxie gave him him her best innocent look, "I did not have anything to do with this!"  
  
Damian turned his head to Dillon, "What do you think, Dillon? You think the Jones sisters hatched some plot to get us together."  
  
Dillon grinned, "I am shocked and appauled that you would dare make such an implication, Damian! These are two of the finest people I've ever met in my life. They would never do such a thing."  
  
Georgie rolled her eyes, "You two hit it off without us making you. Who says that guys can't make friends without our help?"  
  
Maxie laughed for a moment. "We thought that maybe we could just go for a walk around town and chat about stuff. We have the day off."  
  
"I don't know if I enjoy being used as a pawn in you grand scheme," Damian smirked.  
  
"Would it help if we apologized?" Georgie asked.  
  
"Maybe a little," Dillon told her.  
  
The two sisters looked at each other, devilish looks on both their faces. They kissed their boyfriends at the same time and pulled away, asking at the same time, "That good enough?"  
  
"Yeah," Damian and Dillon were quick to respond.  
  
33 


	58. Reflections

Notes: I saw Janet breast I did! Very happy. Okay, so I'm perverted, but I'm a guy, I'm allowed to be.  
  
Shadow- Very nice of you to review again, and I am glad to see that you are feeling well enough to review. These months will be hard on you, but should everything turn out fine, which I'm sure is the case, it will all be worth it. You know, some people say that a woman doesn't look nearly as beautiful as when she's pregnant. I personally have never met any of these people, but they do exist. Thank you for calling the story original. It actually isn't all that original as far as my stories go. I've done more than a few of the whole 'mysterious relative returns/makes themselves known' in the past year or so. I mean, they're all different, but they all have that common thread. I've been writing the visit, and it's pretty good, you'll see what I mean when it gets posted. I think it will be sometime within the week. Georgie and Dillon are going to become more prominent now that Maxie and Damian are a couple, which is good because I enjoy writing them both. Michael's also going to be a bigger piece. All these plans, they will come to be soon enough. I love being cryptic.  
  
Story-  
  
The Park-  
  
It was an odd feeling, one that Damian never thought he would ever have in his life. Not only did he have someone that he cared about so much that wasn't a member of his family, but he also had people around him that he would consider his friends. He didn't know Gerogie and Dillon that well, but by comparison he really didn't know Maxie as well ad he would like. It looked like they would have plenty of time to learn about each other, Damian wasn't going anywhere for an indefinite period of time, and Maxie wanted to stay around him as well.  
  
As for Georgie, she had seen that they cared about each other in a way that she knew, because she cared for Dillon in that same way. She was a bit ashamed with herself because she was originally so very skeptical of the guy and her sister. Maxie was indebted to Damian for all of the help that he had given her both with Kyle's abuse and helping her in his own way when he died. Georgie thought that was why they spent time together, because Maxie was repaying the debt that she felt needed to be repaid. While it may have started out that way she was quick to realize that it wasn't the only reason that she stayed around him, she was in love. Maybe it was because she really never knew what it felt like, she had only truly known infatuation, but she was reluctant to express her feelings. Now she had, and she was the happiest she had been in some time.  
  
Dillon had found himself a quick friend in Damian, and he was thankful for that. Outside of Maxie and Georgie he really didn't have anyone even close to his age that he could talk with. Granted, Damian was a few years older than him and plenty smarter, but he knew things. It was kind of hard to talk about 'guy things' when there weren't any guys to talk with. He didn't have a father, and he certainly wasn't going to strike up a conversation with Edward, knowing full well that anything he said would quickly be changed into some life lesson that would somehow incorporate the old man belittling him at every turn. Jason was out of the question as well, not wanting anything to do with any of the Quartermaine's outside of Lila and Emily. Dillon respected his cousin more than he would ever let on, and wouldn't tack his problems that were Q in nature onto the poor guy who had to end up forgetting them all in order to just get away from everything. He certainly couldn't talk with Mac, because Mac wouldn't look at him unless he felt that he had to. Besides, talking to someone about problems should not have to regress into talking with your girlfriend's father. He wasn't that desperate, and he certainly hoped that he would never be that desperate at any time in his life. With Damian around he might not have to. The guy had already helped him with a problem that he was having, showing him that something he thought of as trivial school work was actually a problem that he had within himself. And they talked about it, they really talked about it. It wasn't the standard 'I ask the question one of my family members orders me around' faire, it was an actual conversation. Maybe Dillon was just in awe that he could find someone that was somewhat human, but he liked that.  
  
Georgie and Dillon had left for a moment, they hadn't exactly said why, but the time alone was welcome. Maxie leaned her head on Damian's shoulder as they walked, "I'm really glad that you're here."  
  
"You asked me to come, why would I say no?"  
  
"I don't mean that," Maxie retorted. "I mean, I'm glad that you're in my life, that I met you, that I fell in love with you. I do wish that we could have met under better circumstances, and that the reason that you came to Port Charles didn't happen, but I don't know where I'd be if it weren't for you."  
  
"You'd find a way to be happy even if I weren't here, Maxie," Damian told her. "You're a smart person and you know how to make your life better, you just need someone to help you find your inner strength."  
  
"Which is what you do."  
  
Damian stopped himself and thought about it, "Yeah, I guess I do."  
  
"Why is that odd? You've always been trying to help people, haven't you?"  
  
He shook his head, "No, I haven't always helped people. It really only started when I came here. I guess it's because people didn't know who I was here. I grew up in the same place my whole live, and got stuck with the mantra of being the weird kid that people didn't really want to be around. For that reason alone people would try and run the other way from me, even if they had a broken leg. It hurt, knowing that for whatever reason people would misjudge my motives."  
  
"They just didn't know that you could be so great, that's there problem, not yours."  
  
"Maybe it isn't," Damian muttered, thinking that there could have been a small chance that the only people who were out of the loop involving the history of the Zuniga family were those in the family themselves. The others, his cousins, even his aunts and uncles that married into the family, they may have been kept out of the loop for their own safety. He knew for a fact that they didn't do anything like that anymore, nothing could change his faith in his family back home and their non involvement in organized crime at that current moment. But it was obvious that they were keeping secrets from him and from the others. It could have been entirely possible that Elias's past was very well known throughout the area, and they kept away from any of his brood just for their own safety. Damian sighed, how much of his life had been penalized because of a past that wasn't his, but he was engaged in nonetheless?  
  
"Damian?" Maxie could see that he was disturbed by something, although she didn't know what.  
  
Damian snapped out of his thought, "Sorry."  
  
"What were you thinking about?"  
  
"Just some of the stuff that I have to talk about with my family when I go see them this weekend," Damian said. But he changed his mind. He and Sonny had been separated by a lie, he wouldn't let that happen to him and Maxie. "Maxie, my grandfather was a lot like Sonny. He was into organized crime, and I can't be too sure, but it is a safe bet that he killed people."  
  
"But you told me he was all religious."  
  
"Yeah, he is now," Damian corrected her. "But he wasn't when he was younger. Sonny told me that the only reason I'm here is because if he didn't have sex with my mother he would have been killed for insubordination. I was born because the only other option was death. I didn't want to believe him, but I asked another person and they told me that Papi was a criminal in the past. That's why I'm going home, to confront him and ask him why he lied to me."  
  
"You can't let who your family is affect the type of person that you are," Maxie told him. "You can't let them judge you based on anything other than yourself."  
  
Damian's face turned ghostly white as his mind flashed back to the day his mother died. She had told him that as well. She knew, she always knew. She had lied to him, too. She did it to protect him, just like Sonny did. "My whole life has been built on lies," Damian said. "No matter what I hear, I can't trust it."  
  
"You can trust this," Maxie grabbed his hand. "I love you, Damian. That isn't a lie, that is the truth. No matter who your family is, what they've done, how you feel about them, I love you, not them."  
  
"Weren't you just saying how I'm the one that's been saving you?" Damian asked.  
  
"Role reversal," Maxie grinned.  
  
"I wish I didn't have to leave."  
  
Maxie nodded, "I wish you could stay, too. But we both know how important this is to you, and I won't keep you from finding out what you feel that you need to find out. Promise me one thing, though."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"That you'll always remember the person that you are, the person that I know to have the best heart and the kindest soul. Promise me that you'll never lose what makes you the person you are now."  
  
"I promise," Damian hugged Maxie and noticed something about this particular area. "You know, this is where it all started."  
  
Maxie broke from the hug and looked around. She hadn't been to this part of the park since the fight with Kyle. She didn't think that she ever would, it brought her too many bad memories. But here she was, and she was actually enjoying being around here. She could be anywhere, as long as she could be with the man she cared for. "That's all in the past. He's in the past."  
  
Georgie walked up and smiled, "I'm so happy to hear you say that."  
  
"It's true," Maxie said. "Kyle's gone, he's never coming back, he's never hurting any of us ever again nor will he hurt other people. I'm through caring about him, and I don't know why I ever thought I did. I want to start building new memories that I will cherish forever and bury the old ones that kept me up at night. I can't think of a better place to start than here."  
  
"Disneyworld would be nice," Dillon said. When the others looked at him much in the same way they had looked at Georgie earlier he realized just how she felt then. "I'll shut up now."  
  
37 


	59. A Friendship Betrayed

Notes: An extended chapter, because I'm an idiot who made the last chapter cut at the wrong place, and for that I apologize. I could have made this two chapters, but that would have only further screwed up my plotting. I do apologize again, and I suppose I could go back and edit, but I don't want to. Yes, I'm lazy. Also, just a random thought that went through my head while watching today's episode. Damian would so be on Carly's side right now, even if they weren't friend's he wouldn't let Sonny keep her from her kids.  
  
Septermberbaby- I seriously feel so bad for people who just start reviewing this story now, because it means that they had to spend SO much time playing catch-up. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love that I'm getting new people to review and whatnot, but 58 chapters is a lot to read. Imagine how much it is to write, heh. It took me awhile to get the Damian/Dillon friendship story going, but now that I have it should be fun. So many people love the Daxamilian, so happy for their impact I am. Thank you for the review, I hope you continue to support my story.  
  
Extended Story-  
  
Docks, Thursday-  
  
Faith stood looking out at the sea. She had sent plenty of people to 'sleep with the fishies' as the saying went. The thought brought a smile to her face, one that some people would think as a kind gesture. Those people did not know the widow. If there was one thing that Faith lacked in spades aside from the ability to wear bright colors it was patience. Faith was a very demanding woman, and while she knew that some of her plans could take a long time she didn't like waiting for anyone other than herself. She was becoming less than pleased with the promptness of her head lackey, Zander. Or, more specifically, the lack of promptness. He was becoming unruly, and she couldn't have that. She would need to express her displeasure with the boy when she saw him, and make sure that he knew that it was Faith who called the shots, no one else.  
  
"Sorry I took so long," Zander dashed over from one of the other sides of the dock. "Checking out took longer than I wanted. My father decided to make sure that everything was fine, it took him long enough to care about my wellbeing."  
  
"I could care less about Doctor Lewis's sympathies towards you, Zander," Faith snapped at him. "I pay you to be a good little gopher and do what I want."  
  
"Look, Faith, I apologized. I can't do anything else."  
  
"You can do whatever I want you to do," Faith said. "If that involves barking like a dog or streaking around the Quatermaine mansion then so be it."  
  
Zander rolled his eyes, "You're still so grateful for the bullet that I took. The bullet that was meant for you."  
  
Faith laughed, "Bullet's aren't meant for me, Zander. We have an agreement."  
  
"Care to explain the urgency of this meeting?"  
  
"Pack your swimsuit, and make sure the speedo is in there," Faith grinned devilishly. "We're heading out to California tomorrow."  
  
"Is there a reason that you want to go clear across the country?" Zander asked. "Even you can't want a natural tan that badly."  
  
"It's business, Zander," Faith said. "Pure business."  
  
"What kind of business?"  
  
"The kind that will put us on top of Sonny," Faith laughed. "It's so brilliant, I can't believe that I thought of it."  
  
"The feeling is mutual."  
  
Faith leered at him, "You don't think that I can make a good plan up, Zander? Do you doubt the ways I do business?"  
  
Zander backed away a little, "No, Faith, of course not."  
  
She smiled, "Good, because you don't get a say in this."  
  
"How is going to California going to help you beat Sonny? All of his shipments come through here, they don't come clear across the country, and he doesn't have very much influence on the west coast."  
  
"We're not going over there to beat Sonny at his own game," Faith said. "We're going to make sure that his darling offspring doesn't come back without one of us having a gun to his head."  
  
Zander looked at Faith with much question plastered on his face, "You're going to take Damian hostage?"  
  
"Good job!" Faith clapped, "You want a treat?"  
  
"Cut the humor and answer the question, Faith."  
  
"Yes, Zander. We're going to bring Damian back with us when we return from the golden state and offer him as a bargaining piece against Sonny."  
  
"What are you looking for that he has?"  
  
"A part of his territory."  
  
"A part?"  
  
Faith grinned, "You know me too well. By part, I mean substantial area. By substantial area I mean every single square foot that Sonny commands be put under my command or I make sure that Damian gets a lobotomy in front of daddy."  
  
Zander shook his head, "It won't work."  
  
"Enlighten me to the reasons that it wouldn't work."  
  
"Sonny's not stupid enough to send one of his children out anywhere without a guard. He has Max take Michael for a walk to the store for crying out loud!"  
  
Faith grinned once more, "Oh ye of little faith and littler mind, I did think of that. You see, Sonny doesn't act as protective around Damian as he does the squirts. Either because he thinks Damian is a big boy who can take care of himself, or because they've had a bit of a falling out and Damian doesn't want anything to do with Sonny. My sources tell me that it's most certainly the latter. Whatever the reason, he's going alone."  
  
"I must admit I'm impressed," Zander told her. "After all, you've actually done some research into this one. It should go a whole lot better than that shipment you tried to hijack that was full of toys."  
  
"You just love using that against me, don't you?" Faith asked, disgusted. It was her worst failure to date.  
  
"I have to get my kicks somehow, don't I?" Zander asked with a huge smile on his face.  
  
"There's more to my plan than just making sure that Damian is in our custody, and that part directly involves you."  
  
"I'm listening."  
  
"He's taken quite the liking to a person that you yourself probably remember fondly." There was a glimmer in Faith's eyes. It was actually pretty intimidating.  
  
Zander's first thought was of Emily. But she was always with Nikolas, there was no way that she would leave him without Zander finding out and making sure that he was there for her. The knowledge that Emily was in no danger brought him a strange amount of comfort. No matter how badly she hurt him in the past, he loved her, he would always love her. But with Emily out of the picture he didn't know who Faith was talking about. "And that person is?"  
  
"Maxie Jones. Scorpio's oldest daughter."  
  
"You're going to kidnap the head mobster and the head lawman's kids?" Zander was impressed by Faith now more than ever. "You've got some nerve, I'll give you that."  
  
"It was that nerve that helped me slaughter the five families," Faith still displayed the pride from her power play that let Sonny and Lorenzo know that she was there and she meant business. Now she would strike at Sonny's heart, and if she could piss off the boys in blue also, she was all for it.  
  
Unknown to both Zander and Faith, Ric had walked up from a day at the office and hid when he saw them engaged in some kind of conversation. Faith still had feelings for Ric, he knew it, she knew it, but neither would actually admit to it. Ric had enough going against him without having a crazed killer be in love with him. Ric listened, wondering what the two had in the plans.  
  
"If this works you'll get what you want, no doubt in my mind."  
  
"I always get what I want, Zander," Faith grabbed his jacket. "No one denies me anything." She let go and turned away, "Find a way to make sure that the wheels get set in motion. I've got some shopping to do. It might still be pretty hot in California, and you know how much black attracts heat. I need to find a new wardrobe before we depart. It should be fun."  
  
"California, here we come," Zander whistled as he walked away, not seeing Ric laying low.  
  
Ric got up and walked a few steps, contemplating what they had planned. Why would they need to go to California? Whatever the reason it was out of his jurisdiction, and it didn't involve anyone he knew if it wasn't in Port Charles. Ric walked home, unaware of most of the plans that Faith had in store for his family.  
  
General Hospital-  
  
Maxie was on one of her breaks. The weekend was coming up, the weekend that she would have to spend without Damian being there by her side. But he could be by her side at that moment. She smiled as she saw the elevator open and her boyfriend walk out. It wasn't wishful thinking, she had called him and asked him to come over before he left, knowing full well that she might not be able to see him off. "You all ready?" She asked. Trying to sound excited, or at least not all that depressed. It was hard, though. Being away from someone that you really cared about was always hard. When she was much smaller she hated being without her mother. Since then the feelings had changed for the most part.  
  
"As ready as I can be," Damian hugged her as she walked out of the nurses station. "I don't really think that I can prepare for finding out the things that I might find out, though."  
  
"What's the worst that could happen, Damian? You'll find out about your past and you'll work to make sure that it makes you a better person. You've done that before."  
  
Damian agreed, "Let's just hope that I make it through the weekend."  
  
"Why wouldn't you?"  
  
"I don't do well with conflict, Maxie. I don't really have a phobia, but it is uncomfortable for me. I'm going to ask my grandparents to expose twenty one years of lies, something is going to happen, something bad."  
  
"If you think that something bad will happen then of course it will!" Maxie told him. "You have to think about things in a different way."  
  
"I'm a realist, not an optimist," Damian told her. "I wish I could cloud myself from what I feel is going to happen, but I can't."  
  
"Say your goodbyes yet?" Maxie changed the subject, knowing that it was painful for Damian to talk about and not wanting to ruin their last night together before he left.  
  
"I was going back to the apartment from the penthouse when you called."  
  
"How'd he take it?"  
  
"Michael? He told me to have fun and tried to look like he was okay with me going away, but I knew he wasn't. At least he didn't cry. Carly looked pretty happy when she realized that I was going to be gone, though."  
  
Maxie sighed, "I want to talk with her."  
  
"She won't listen to you," Damian informed Maxie. "She doesn't listen to anyone but herself and very occasionally she'll listen to Jason, but that's only when she realizes that she's messed up beyond her ability to repair things on her own."  
  
"She's so blind," Maxie said in disgust. "She doesn't see that you're not here to do anything but become a doctor."  
  
"Right now Carly's the furthest thing from my mind, I've got more important things to worry about than pleasing that woman."  
  
"Damian," Maxie let her voice hang.  
  
"I'm sorry," Damian ran a hand through his hair. "We shouldn't be talking about my problems right now, we won't see each other for three days."  
  
"It's okay," Maxie said. "I know you've got a lot of things that are running through your head at the moment, it would be selfish of me to demand that you only think about me."  
  
"I wouldn't mind you being selfish for just a little while," Damian grinned.  
  
"You know I'm going to miss you a lot."  
  
"I know."  
  
"But when you get back, we should do something. You know, like actually go on a date."  
  
Damian chuckled, "Did Georgie put you up to that?"  
  
"Of course not!"  
  
"Do you really want to go out on one of those real dates that they do in the movies?" Damian wondered.  
  
"Those aren't real dates," Maxie replied. "They're just the way that we think things should go in order to give the places that we go to a whole lot of money."  
  
"I wouldn't mind buying into the system if it was for you," Damian told her softly. "You're worth an overpriced and under served meal."  
  
"You don't need to take me anywhere fancy, we could just go out and get something greasy, like a pizza."  
  
"Low maintenance, I like that."  
  
"Can't afford to take my daughter out somewhere nice?" A voice asked from behind. "I suppose you could just ask your father for some of his dirty money, he's got plenty."  
  
Maxie gasped when she saw him, "Dad? What are you doing here?"  
  
"A father can't check up on his daughter who he happens to care for very much?" Mac asked. "I've every right to be in a public hospital, Maxie."  
  
"Hello, Commissioner," Damian extended his hand out to Mac.  
  
Mac looked down at the hand, "Staying out of trouble lately? I haven't seen your name come up in any of the criminal files. But, then again, you people have your way of making sure that nothing gets filed anyway."  
  
"Dad, stop!" Maxie pleaded.  
  
Mac ignored Maxie and focused on Damian, "I'm going to make one thing perfectly clear: I spend a lot of time and effort making sure that the people in this city are kept safe from people like yourself, and you can be damned certain that I won't let my own daughter fall into the void that comes with being around the life that you're in."  
  
"With all due respect, sir, you're wrong about me," Damian told Mac boldly. "I realize that you are skeptical of me because of my relations with certain people in this town, but they are no more than blood. Simply because I am Sonny's child does not mean that I incorporate the same things in my life that he does and I'm quite insulted by the fact that you would put so little faith in me."  
  
"Save it," Mac replied coldly. "If I even wanted to buy into your bull it would only make me want to put you in jail more when I ended up having to arrest you for doing something stupid."  
  
"Dad!"  
  
"If you don't mind," Mac began, again ignoring his daughter, "I'd appreciate being left alone with my daughter now. Do you think you can give me that?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Damian!" Maxie grabbed him, "You don't need to go."  
  
"Yes, he does," Mac demanded.  
  
"I'll call you," Damian told Maxie as he walked away, eying Mac once.  
  
"You deserve better than that," Mac told Maxie.  
  
"There is no one better than Damian for me, Mac!" Maxie almost yelled at him, but barely managed to keep herself somewhat civil, although it was a battle.  
  
"I could think of a few hundred people, easily," Mac retorted.  
  
"You're never going to be happy with anyone that I involve myself with!" Maxie's eyes began to water. "I love him, dad. I'll love him no matter how much you tell me not to."  
  
"I won't let you blindly follow him around and get yourself killed!" Mac grabbed Maxie, "I care about you too much to watch you die before I do!"  
  
"Just go, Mac," Maxie pushed herself away from him. "I really don't want to talk with you right now."  
  
"Maxie."  
  
"Please just go!"  
  
Mac turned and left. He knew it was going to go badly, but he hadn't expected it to go that far. He wouldn't apologize, though. He knew that he was doing the right thing. Or at least he felt that he was doing the right thing.  
  
Maxie placed her head on the nurses' station and began to sob gently. Why would he do that? Why wouldn't he support her? She was happy, he could see that. Why was he trying to destroy that for her? When she felt a hand on her shoulder she sneered, "I thought I told you to go away!"  
  
"I never heard you tell me to go away," A different voice said.  
  
Maxie lifted her head and turned around. "Zander."  
  
Zander nodded, "Hello, Maxie."  
  
"Sorry, I thought you were my father."  
  
"Now that's something I hope I never have to hear again in my life," Zander grinned and it made Maxie feel a little better. "I've got a problem, and I think you can help me with it."  
  
Maxie nodded, "What do you need?"  
  
"I've got a cousin, a little girl, she wasn't feeling very good so I brought her here. She doesn't like hospitals, she thinks they're really scary. She ran off and I can't find her. Even if I do, I know she won't come out. You're really good with kids, can you help me out?" Zander's story was very airtight, but a part of him hated doing this.  
  
"Do you know the general area that she's in?"  
  
Zander nodded, "Yeah, follow me."  
  
Zander purposely led her to an area of the hospital that had a few rooms with the lights off. He picked one and opened the door, "I'm pretty sure I saw her run in here, she still might be inside."  
  
Maxie walked in, "Hello? You don't have to be afraid, the people here just want to help you." Maxie's hand went for the light switch, but Zander stopped her by covering her mouth with one hand and putting a cloth in front of her face with another. Maxie kicked and tried to scream, but the cloth was laced with a sleep inducing agent that put her fast asleep.  
  
"I'm sorry, Maxie. I wish I didn't have to do this." Zander walked out and signaled for two people working for Faith and dressed like doctors to bring in a gurney and cover her body with a sheet so people wouldn't think that it was her. He still felt really guilty about doing something to a person he considered a friend.  
  
44 


	60. An Unlikely Savior

Notes: No New Reviews, so we shall just go straight into the story.  
  
Story-  
  
Kelly's, the next morning-  
  
Ric, on his way to the office, instead decided to take a small detour into the restaurant. It wasn't that the food was the best, or that it had a certain ambiance. His reason for stepping in was always the same, Elizabeth. The woman he loved had spent most of her time since they had their unfortunate falling out working there in order to support her art career. It still made Ric sad when he thought about the fact that she was wasting her time, her beautiful hands that could craft masterful pieces of art that would touch so many people, and instead using them to serve people and clean up after them. She deserved more, and he could provide it. If only she would let him. Sadly, Elizabeth had flourished in her independence, and actually enjoyed her job. He suspected that it had something to do with that newly emerged nephew of his. For some reason, which was far beyond his ability to comprehend, Elizabeth and Damian had forged a fast friendship. It actually wasn't that hard to understand. Elizabeth was kind and compassionate and would want to be just about anyone's friend. She obviously saw how desperate the boy was for a friend, any friend, and took pity upon him. How else would she justify befriending a Corinthos, or even a Corinthos by blood if not name?  
  
Elizabeth saw that Ric was standing there, obviously thinking about something. "Ric?" She asked, trying to get his attention. He looked at her, but it was obvious he wasn't there with her. Instead he appeared to be lost to her like he was when he was often plotting something against Sonny and Jason or one of the other people that he felt deserved to pay for some reason that had caused him suffering. She frowned, she really did not like it when he got like that. "Ric!" She exclaimed, not yelling at him, but making it a point that her voice was loud enough to get his attention.  
  
It worked, Ric snapped back into the reality that he was in and smiled at Elizabeth, "I'm sorry, I was thinking about something."  
  
"I can see that," Elizabeth replied blankly.  
  
"I'm sorry, Elizabeth," Ric apologized again. "I was just thinking about why you were so nice to everyone."  
  
"People respond a lot better to you when you're nice to them than when you're being malicious, Ric. I respond better to you when you're being the Ric that I love rather than the Ric that I feel so much disappointment and hatred for." Elizabeth looked into his soul, "I can see that you're acting more like the second Ric than the first. Why?"  
  
"Elizabeth, I love you, and I want to keep you safe. At times, I have been the one that has put you in the way of danger, but that is all behind me now. I wish only to protect you from being hurt again like you were when you lost our child."  
  
"What are you getting at?"  
  
"You know what it's like to be around people that are involved in Sonny's operations. You were in love with Jason for god only knows how long. It cost you, didn't it? It hurt you a lot, and I don't want to see you get hurt again." Ric sighed, "With that in mind, I don't see why you're so adamant about being friends with Damian."  
  
"Damian's a good kid, Ric," Elizabeth defended him. "I realize that he's Sonny's child, and I know the risks that come with that, but so does he. In fact, I guess I'm trying to help him in a way that no one could ever help me. I know what it's like to love someone that you can't be around because you're constantly in fear of something happening to them or to you. I've been hurt by it, and I don't want anyone else feeling the pain that I felt. He's a smart kid, I know he is, but he doesn't have much experience in life, and if I can help him with that I will." Elizabeth sat on the stool, "Besides, you don't need to worry about him being hurt for awhile, he went back to Los Angeles for the weekend."  
  
Ric's jaw almost dropped, "Los Angeles?"  
  
"His family lives there, he wanted to visit them. I'm happy that he's taking the time to get away from everything that's been causing him problems in Port Charles lately. The breather should help him."  
  
Ric thought back to seeing Faith and Zander talk on the docks the night before. They were going to California, that much he knew for sure. He was a lawyer, he knew how to piece together pieces of a puzzle. It didn't take a brain surgeon to know that she was planning something. "Do you care about him?" Ric asked.  
  
"He's my friend, of course I care about him."  
  
"And you'd want to protect him if you knew that something bad was going to happen, wouldn't you?"  
  
"Yes, Ric," Elizabeth sighed. "That's what friends do, they look out for each other and keep them safe."  
  
"He's in trouble, Elizabeth," Ric said.  
  
"What kind of trouble could he be in? He's going back home."  
  
"Faith is going after him," Ric informed her. "I saw her and Zander talking on the docks last night, they said they were taking a trip to California. I don't know for sure that they're going after him, but it's a pretty damned good guess."  
  
"You've got to do something!" Elizabeth pleaded. "You're the ADA!"  
  
"Elizabeth, I don't have any power outside of Port Charles, and it sure as hell doesn't stretch to the other side of the country!"  
  
"I won't let him get hurt, Ric!" Elizabeth was nervous now, extremely nervous. She knew what a sick person Faith was, and how she would do anything to get what she wanted.  
  
"Neither will I, not if he means so much to you," Ric exited Kelly's at a fast pace.  
  
Elizabeth looked behind her to a fellow worker, "Cover for me, please." When the girl nodded at her, Elizabeth grabbed her coat and followed after him.  
  
Elsewhere-  
  
Faith smiled as she saw Maxie bound and gagged. She ran a finger up Maxie's cheek, "You know, despite the fact that you're Scorpio's daughter I never put much worth into you as a part of this little game that we play. It's a miracle how much can change when you start falling in love with powerful people's sons. Now you're worth more to me than you ever could be if you were just Mac's kid. Don't try and struggle, dear, those binds were fastened by myself. Believe me when I say that I know my way around tying people up to things." Faith walked away, "I'm sure daddy's just so worried about you, he's probably got all his best people looking for you. Of course, most of the PCPD are incompetent fools who couldn't find an elephant in a port-a-potty, but that isn't for me to really be the judge of, is it?"  
  
Zander walked in and looked at Maxie. He still felt pained that he had to do that to her, but he didn't have a choice. "We're flying over California now, Faith."  
  
Faith smiled, "Maybe, after I take over Sonny's territory, I'll go to Disneyland to celebrate. Sure, traditionally you're supposed to go to Disneyworld, but I don't feel like flying to the other end of the country again. Watch after her while I look around."  
  
Zander gave a shallow nod, "Of course." With Faith gone, Zander undid the gag around Maxie's mouth, "I really am sorry about this."  
  
"If you were, you wouldn't have done this," Maxie said, disgusted. "You lied to me just to get me here, and now you're going to use me and Damian in something that neither of us are involved in."  
  
Zander sighed, "You're wrong, Maxie, and you don't realize just how wrong you are. Whenever you take even the smallest step into the life there is no way to get out. Damian should have never come to Port Charles and you should have never started hanging around with him. Now that you have there is nothing but pain in both of your futures. You fell in love with the worst possible person that you could have, Maxie. I don't know what to tell you other than you should have picked someone else."  
  
"I won't stop loving him!" Maxie sneered.  
  
"Then I can't help you."  
  
Maxie cried a little, "I'm going to die, aren't I? We're both going to die."  
  
Zander touched her shoulder, softly, "I won't let anyone kill you, Maxie. I feel bad enough dragging you into this, I won't let them end your life. You've helped me too many times, I owe you that much."  
  
"I don't want him to die, Zander!" Maxie wept some more. "Even if it costs me my life, I don't care, I just want Damian safe."  
  
"You love him so much that you would throw away your own life for someone that you don't even know?" Zander wondered.  
  
"I don't know him very well, but I know that he is the best person that I can be with, and there is nothing that anyone can tell me that will stop me. Didn't you feel this way about Emily when you first met? The way that everyone was trying to keep you two apart, but you knew that you cared for her so much. Wouldn't you throw your own life into the fire, just to protect her? Even now?"  
  
Zander laughed, "There was a time that I would have believed you, Maxie. There was a time that I believed in true love. Some idea that people could end up fighting against anything in order to be together. But that part of me is dead, and you know what killed it? Emily fell in love with someone else under the pretense that she did it in order to protect me from seeing her die. She married me because she felt she was going to die, that's the only reason she did those things. I thought we could be happy, but I was kidding myself. I should have known that she wouldn't end up in my arms at the end."  
  
"Maybe she wasn't right for you," Maxie said.  
  
"She was, Maxie! I know it, and she knows it. She's just too blind to see past Nikolas!" Zander started to storm off, but he turned around and gagged Maxie again, "You have my word that nothing will happen to you, but I will not extend that promise to your boyfriend. I don't owe him anything and I know that if you keep seeing him you're only going to die."  
  
Maxie's tears became more intense as she thought of Zander's warning. She knew it wasn't true, she knew that they would find a way to survive.  
  
48 


	61. A Time With No Choices

Joy- Worry not about not reviewing every single chapter. While I love it when people do indeed review all the chapters (how I am so very fond of that) I do realize that sometimes that accursed thing known as reality must take top billing over the fun ways of reading fanfiction! I am glad to hear that you are no battling your cold, best of luck! For the record, I never get tired of the gushing, for I am a very big fan of the gushing. Gushing is fun, yes it is. Besides, I need to know that I'm getting the characters right, and in order for me to get that, I need to see what input you, the readers, have. I feel for Sonny both on the show and in the story, it's fun to see him go through pain when he's usually so very controlled and calculating, but that doesn't mean it isn't something that makes me go 'poor Sonny.' Granted, I'm doing that less and less on the show, since they're making him all mean, but I digress. Funny thing, when I first started watching GH I hated Dillon. I was basically going 'Dammit, I don't care if this is summer, I don't want teenagers on the soap!' Of course, through the magic of good writing and excellent acting, Dillon fast became my prime non-eye candy reason for watching the show. Oh, how I do love that witty Quatermaine child, and his mother, too. His brother I'm not so fond of and I really do hope that Ned either A) Dies in that fire, or B) Actually ends up having a purpose. I'm still really hoping for choice A, my apologies to the Ned fans who read this story, but that is the way I feel about it. I am sorry that you do not have as strong a love for my portrayal of Zander as you do the rest, but I can assure you that it is all planned. He's going to have a change of heart soon enough. You will see. Hopefully it will please you, I liked throwing it in there, although it had been planned for a very long time. I'm going to miss him when he leaves as well. The reason he's become Faith's whipping boy is because that was how he was on the show when I started writing. I've really only seen two sides of Zander, the whipping boy and the lovesick puppy. Since Emily isn't going to be part of this story, at least to my knowledge and plotting, that really only left him with the former. But, as I have already said, stay tuned. Don't be afraid to tell me what you don't like, if there is anything else. I respect your right to like a certain character one way as much as you respect mine to portray them another. Again, thank you for the review.  
  
Story-  
  
Outside PH4-  
  
Ric looked at the penthouse that belonged to his brother. Why should he tell Sonny anything? He owned Sonny nothing other than an end to his mad tirade for power. Sonny cost him a child, why should he not do the same? What would Damian's death do to Ric? Absolutely nothing. Ric was about to turn around when he saw Elizabeth. "Why did you follow me?"  
  
"I wasn't going to let you walk away," She told him. "I know what's going on in your head right now, Ric. If you really love me like you say you do, you'll do the right thing. Not only for me, but because the heart that I know beats inside of you knows that it is the right thing as well."  
  
"They won't believe me."  
  
"Which is why I'm here." She grabbed his arm, "Come on."  
  
Minutes later-  
  
They walked out of the elevator. Max was there, standing guard. He smiled as he saw Ric. All of Sonny's men were under direct order not to let Lansing inside unless he had probable cause. Since he never really had any, the visits that he made were rare. "You can just turn around right now."  
  
"I've got some information and I need to tell my brother," Ric told Max.  
  
Max shook his head, "Not buying it, Lansing. You've lied to us all too many times in the past, what makes this time any more believable than the others?"  
  
"Someone's life is on the line, Max!" Ric yelled.  
  
Elizabeth looked at Max, "Please, let us see Sonny."  
  
Max was somewhat taken by Elizabeth, but he wasn't going to budge for anyone. "Sorry, not happening."  
  
"Dammit, Max!" Ric tried to force himself past the guard, but it was very ineffective to say the least.  
  
Elizabeth, however, knew that Max was too distracted with Ric to stop her from opening the door. She saw Sonny, Carly, and Michael in the living room. "You need to listen to Ric, Sonny."  
  
Sonny got up, "Why should I ever pay attention to anything that man says?"  
  
Ric pushed past Max as the guard was distracted, "Because if you don't, your son may die."  
  
To say that Sonny wasn't buying anything that Ric, or Elizabeth for that matter, was saying would be an understatement. He stared at the man who he probably hated more than just about anyone. The man that almost cost him the life of his wife and his baby. The man that, if things could have played out better, could have been one of his best friends. They shared a mother, but they shared nothing else, nothing other than a pure and undying distrust for one another. He had trusted Ric once, and found that his brother was only masquerading as someone that he could view as a friend in order to bring him down for doing something that he really had no control over. He couldn't change the past, as much as he wanted to. "Max," Sonny turned his eyes up to the guard and spoke in as dead a voice as possible, "escort them off my property."  
  
"Sonny, please!" Elizabeth grabbed his hand. "If you care about Damian, listen to Ric!"  
  
"Daddy," Michael got up and clung to his father's leg. He kept his eyes away from Ric, he didn't want to look at him. "Why is the bad man that kidnapped mommy talking about Damian? Is he in trouble again?"  
  
"He's in danger, Sonny," Ric told him. "Don't you care about your children enough to keep them safe."  
  
Without a second to think about it, Sonny gave his answer, "From people like you, yes."  
  
"What about people like Faith?" Ric asked.  
  
"What does she have to do with any of this, Ric?" Sonny looked down at Michael, "Carly, take him upstairs."  
  
"No, daddy, I want to stay with you! I want to know what's going on!"  
  
Sonny knelt down and shook his head, "Daddy will make sure that everything is okay. I promise. But this is grown up talk, and it would only make you worry. He'll be fine, okay?"  
  
Carly grabbed Michael's hand, "Come on, honey. Let's leave daddy alone like he wants." Carly didn't much care about anything that involved Damian, but she certainly didn't want her child to hear the specifics of the situation that was unfolding.  
  
With the boy safely upstairs and out of ears range, Sonny looked at Ric, "You've got one minute, make it good."  
  
"Faith took off to California," Ric said.  
  
"So? Maybe she had some business contacts there."  
  
Ric shook his head, "Your son went home to Los Angeles this morning, Sonny."  
  
"You don't think I'm aware of what Damian does?" Sonny laughed, "You really don't know much despite all that stuff you learned in college."  
  
"I'm not the one acting blind, Sonny!" Ric yelled. "Think about it, Faith just happens to take a very impromptu trip to California on the same weekend that your son is going to be as far away from you as he possibly can be. Even you don't have that much power on the other side of the country!"  
  
"Don't tell me how much power I do and don't have, Lansing," Sonny ordered. "I can get anything done on any corner of the globe if I need it. You'd best remember that."  
  
"I'd like to see you keep your son from being placed in a body bag," Ric told Sonny. "Because if you don't find some way to get down there soon that's probably the most likely thing that is going to happen to him."  
  
"Why are you doing this?" Sonny wondered. "You, of all people, showing that you have a heart? Do you think that I'm too stupid to see through you? You're selfish, Ric. You don't give a damn about anyone else, least of all anyone that happens to be one of my children."  
  
"You're so wrong about me and you don't even realize it. You see that woman over there?" He pointed to Elizabeth, "I love her more than anything. I feel that love for her more than I feel anything else, even the hatred that I have for you. Because of you we lost our child, and because of that I lost her once, I won't let it happen again. I don't know why she cares about that boy of yours, but she does. And because she cares about him so much I've told you the information that you need to know in order to keep him safe. If you let him die then it will be your failure and that will eat you up inside because you'll know that you were too stupid thinking about how much we hate each other to protect someone that you claim to care about. You can take the risk, Sonny. Or, can you? Are you willing to let the possibility of losing one of your children happen because of me? I know that if it were my son in danger and someone I hated gave me information I would have no choice but to take it, because he would be my son and I would want to protect him no matter what."  
  
"Are you done yet?" Sonny asked, turning his eyes away.  
  
Ric nodded, "Yeah. Let's go, Elizabeth."  
  
"Wait," She called out as she looked at Sonny. "He's telling the truth, Sonny. I know he is. Please believe me, I don't want to know that Damian died because you didn't trust Ric enough to believe him. He's right, you shouldn't put someone else in the line of fire because of a feud that doesn't even involve him. Please do the right thing, I know you know what it is."  
  
"Max," Sonny started, "Get them out of here, now!"  
  
"Sure thing," Max pressed the button on the elevator and walked in after they did.  
  
When it was closed, Sonny yelled over to the other end of the hall, "Jason!"  
  
Jason heard him, so did Courtney. They were busy wrapping each other in their arms, but it was obvious that Sonny wanted his loyal right hand man, and he wanted him at that very moment. Jason got up and opened the door, "Sonny, what is it? Did something happen to Michael again?"  
  
"We're going to Los Angeles."  
  
Jason gazed at Sonny, "Why? We got a deal on the other side of the country?"  
  
"We're going to protect Damian."  
  
"From what?"  
  
"From the widow."  
  
Jason grabbed his jacket and put it on, "How do you know that Damian's in trouble?"  
  
"Ric told me."  
  
"Ric Lansing?" Jason rolled his eyes, "Since when do you believe anything that Ric Lansing tells you?"  
  
"Since I don't have a choice!" Sonny barked. "Look, I don't trust him any further than I can throw him, but if he says that Faith is in Los Angeles at the same time that my son has traveled across the country I can't take the risk of knowing that something happened to him and I could have prevented it but didn't because I don't trust my brother. If you don't want to go, fine, I won't stop you, but I'm taking the jet right now and I'm leaving."  
  
"If you feel that strongly about it, you know I'll come along," Jason turned behind him to see Courtney, she had heard the whole thing.  
  
"I want to come, too," She said.  
  
Sonny shook his head, "I need you to stay here. Michael heard part of the discussion and he knows that something might happen to his brother. I need someone here to comfort him."  
  
"He has Carly!" She stated.  
  
"Carly doesn't care if he lives or if he dies, Courtney, you know that. She's not going to be able to convince Michael that things will be okay because he knows that his mother doesn't like Damian. I need someone that cares about him to tell Michael that everything will be okay. With Jason and I going to California that only leaves you. Please, Courtney, do this for me."  
  
Courtney turned her eyes away from her brother's penetrating stare. But even when she wasn't looking at him she knew that he was looking at her. She also knew that he was telling her the truth. Michael knew that Carly didn't have anything but disdain for Damian and she wouldn't sugar coat what was going on in the way that a small boy like Michael needed. It was very sad, but it was true. Michael needed her, and she could never deny the boy anything unless she was otherwise involved in something. What could she do for Damian? She wouldn't be part of a fight. She could fight, but Faith and her men had guns, none of her karate was very effective against deflecting bullets. "All right, I'll stay. But you have to keep me updated."  
  
"I will," Sonny told her. "I promise."  
  
Courtney grabbed Jason's shoulder, "Make sure he comes back alive, Jason. I know Carly doesn't like him, and I know you're not very fond of him either, but he doesn't deserve to die."  
  
"I won't let him die, Courtney," Jason stated warmly. "But you have to realize that I can't prevent everything, and we might already be too late."  
  
53 


	62. Race Against Time

No New Reviews  
  
Story-  
  
Los Angeles International Airport-  
  
The plane landed. He still wasn't very comfortable flying, although at least he didn't have to carry a bag with which to contain anything that happened to come out of his mouth. Maybe he should have taken Sonny's jet, it likely would have been much more comfortable, and devoid of crying babies that wouldn't shut their mouths for hours on end. At least he didn't have any painfully long layovers. He was thankful to be back home, he never thought that the smog infested air of Los Angeles could smell so good. It pained him when he realized that he wasn't here for anything other than to confront his family about a lifetime of lies. He wanted to have a pleasant visit, but that didn't appear to be anywhere on the itinerary.  
  
His carry on, the only thing that he brought with him this time, safely in his hand, Damian walked down the stairs of the airport.  
  
He heard her voice and it was so comforting, "Damian!"  
  
He turned in the direction and saw her face, a face that he could never forget. With his mother gone, she became the most important person in his life. That still hadn't changed, even with his time away. He walked up and hugged her tightly, "Nana, I missed you."  
  
"I missed you, too, honey."  
  
Damian looked around, "Papi isn't with you?"  
  
She shook her head, "You know your grandfather, he always has something to do."  
  
Damian nodded, "Yeah, I guess he does." Even being at home didn't make him regret what he was about to do even more.  
  
On Sonny's plane-  
  
Sonny paced back and forth, not able to stay in his seat, not wanting to stay in his seat. Even if the information came from Ric he had a point, Sonny couldn't risk the chance that Ric was right and Sonny being too wrapped up in his hatred for his half-brother to do anything about it. He promised Michael that everything was going to be fine, he didn't want to be made a liar, not to the poor little boy. Michael had just come out of the hospital, he didn't want to see another one of his children in a hospital bed, that would likely break him.  
  
"Sonny, calm down," Jason told him. "Everything is going to be okay. Damian knows what Faith is like, he knows to stay away from her if he sees her."  
  
"What if he doesn't see her, Jason?" Sonny asked, irate. "What if she just sneaks up from behind him and busts a cap in his head? Then what? Damian might know to stay away from her, but Faith has ways of making sure that she gets what she wants."  
  
"She hasn't landed in any of the airports around the Los Angeles area yet, Sonny. We've got our best men searching every single airport from San Diego on up. When she lands we're going to find out how close she is. She might not even be going to Los Angeles, we really don't have anything other than the word of Ric Lansing." Jason shook his head, "And we all know how reliable that is."  
  
"I've got a feeling that he's telling the truth, Jason. I can feel that Damian's in trouble. I don't know why, I don't know how, but I can."  
  
"Maybe it's just your nerves."  
  
Sonny shook his head, "I'm his father. He might not care about me, he might hate me, and I might accept that and agree with him. I lied to him and he should hate me for it. But, no matter what, he's a part of me. You know how I am about protecting my family, I'd do anything for them. Anything at all."  
  
"You don't have to tell me, Sonny. I'm not the one that needs to be convinced."  
  
"You know why this happened, don't you?" Sonny asked. "Because Faith thinks that I'm weak since I've been out of the business for so long. She sees me trying to be a family man, trying to keep everyone safe and she doesn't think that I've got what it takes anymore. If she thinks that, what do the other people think? I've got a lot of enemies, Jason. People that hate me in every single country on this planet. Any of them could take a hint from Faith and use one of my children against me, or someone else that I care about. Courtney, Carly, Bobbie, You." Sonny looked out the window at the clouds as they passed over them, "But they're dead wrong. Sonny Corinthos isn't weak, he isn't afraid, and he isn't out of the business, not anymore."  
  
Jason got up, "What are you saying?"  
  
"I'm saying that I'm through living this lie that I've put myself in since the minute I put that bullet through Carly's head. I regret doing that, and I always will, but doing that made me take a look at myself. I should have known better than to even think that I could get out of the life, Jason. You know as well as I do that once you take a foot in there is no way out. People think that they can use my family as pawns in their games against me? Well, I'm going to make sure that they never think that ever again. Faith's going to be a martyr for the people that think they can strong arm me into doing anything that I don't want to do." Sonny reached into a compartment of his plane and pulled out a firearm. It was carefully concealed, he had plenty of other hiding places with guns just in case the plane did get inspected. He checked for bullets and clipped the gun with another round. "One way or another, that bitch goes down for messing with my boy."  
  
"They won't like this, Sonny," Jason said. "Carly, Courtney, even Damian. They want you to stay out of the life, you know that. Can you really get back in knowing that so many people want you out?"  
  
"They need to understand that this is the life that I've chosen for myself and that there isn't anything I can do about it now. Believe me, Jason, at first I really wanted to be out of everything, and there was a time when I thought that I was. But look at where that got me. What if my son is already dead? What if I couldn't protect him?"  
  
"He has a cell phone, Sonny. If he's still alive, he'll answer it."  
  
"Not if I call him, Jason. He doesn't take my calls, he doesn't talk to me unless he has to."  
  
"Then I'll call him," Jason picked up his phone and looked at the screen. "Damn, out of service." He grabbed the phone on the plane and used the phone book in the phone to get the information he needed to make the call. It rang and he got the voice message, "Damian, this is Jason. Look, if you get this message you need to stay someplace safe, you need to make sure that you stay as far away from Faith as you can."  
  
Sonny sat down, "That didn't help any. You got his mailbox, we might already be too late."  
  
"We can't be too late, Sonny. Someone would have told us that they saw Faith leaving the airport."  
  
"Yeah well maybe the people that work for us aren't as smart as we give them credit for, Jason. They're human, they're capable of making plenty of mistakes. She's got a few hours on us, and we can't make the plane go any faster."  
  
The phone rang and Jason picked it up, "Yes?" A few seconds passed and Jason placed the phone down.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"She's been spotted."  
  
"Where?"  
  
Jason looked away from Sonny, "LAX."  
  
Sonny slammed his hand on the couch, "Dammit!"  
  
"Sonny," Jason started, "She just got off the plane less than ten minutes ago. There is no way that she could have gotten to Damian already. We've still got time."  
  
"How much, Jason? How much?" Sonny ran his hand through his hair uneasily.  
  
Scorpio Household-  
  
Mac had done something that he usually did not do in his career as a lawman, he took the day off. But this wasn't a sick day, Mac felt fine. No, it was a personal day, a very personal day. He had created a wedge in his relationship with Maxie. She couldn't see that he was acting in her best interests. He truly did not want to see her get hurt. He knew she understood that, but she couldn't understand why he was so hard on her about the relationship she had with Damian. She was blinding herself to the fact that he was the son of an organized crime lord, fooling herself into thinking that somehow their love would be enough to keep her safe. Mac had seen that happen to too many people in order to let it happen to his daughter as well. Come hell or high water, Maxie would see Mac's point and she would break up with that boy.  
  
He knocked on her door, "Maxie?" There was no answer. "Look, Maxie, I know that you're mad at me and that you think that you've got a really good reason to not talk with me, but I'm still your father and I want to talk with you. I'm coming in, all right?" There was still no sound coming from the room. By now she would at least make a moan of disapproval or something to let him know that she was alive. "Maxie?" Mac pushed the door open slightly, surprised that it was open, she almost always locked the door from the inside when she was mad at him or Georgie. He looked around the room, nothing seemed out of place, her bed was made, or no one slept in it. He had been up for hours, he hadn't heard anyone leave through the door or even the window. Where was she?  
  
Mac turned around and pushed Georgie's door open, thinking that maybe the two fell asleep talking to each other about the situation that Mac and Maxie had the night before. Georgie was sound asleep, a big grin on her face. "Georgie! Where's your sister?"  
  
"We're going to have triplets, Dillon!" She said aloud, probably having something to do with her dream.  
  
Mac ignored the dream and instead focused on waking up his other daughter, "Georgie, wake up!" He shook her a bit.  
  
Georgie moaned as her eyes fluttered open, "Dad? What is it? This is the first time I've had a day off in weeks, and I wanted to sleep in."  
  
"Do you know where your sister is?"  
  
"Did you try her room?" Georgie asked, more sarcastic than anything.  
  
"Of course I did!" Mac told her. "I thought maybe she was in here with you. She wasn't?"  
  
"Of course not!" Georgie said. "We haven't shared a room since we were little girls. You remember, don't you? We had that big fight over the collective Barbie collection and you and mom put us in-"  
  
"Georgie!" Mac interrupted her, "I don't care about that right now. I mean, I do, but I need to know where your sister is. Did she come home before you went to bed?"  
  
"I didn't see her at all last night. I figured she was going to spend some time with Damian before he went to Los Angeles."  
  
Mac pulled out his phone and pressed the button that would auto-dial to Maxie. It rang a few times before the answering service picked up. Mac closed the phone right away. "Either she isn't taking my calls or something's wrong. I haven't seen her and you haven't seen her. Where could she be?"  
  
"I don't know, dad," Georgie said, waking up slowly as she saw that her father was more than a little worried. She didn't know where her sister was, she wasn't lying. That worried her, because Maxie always told her where she was going if she didn't tell Mac, that way at least someone would know where to find her in case they needed her.  
  
Los Angeles-  
  
He hadn't said anything on the ride back to the place that he called home for twenty years. It wasn't unexpected. Damian had never really been one for conversation. His phone had died, he forgot to charge it before he went to bed the night before. He wondered if Maxie had already tried to call him. He wondered what she was doing, probably being bored out of her mind being a candy stripper. It wasn't a bad job, it made Damian respect her even more. At least she was getting training at the hospital, something that he had yet to do. He missed her a lot. It made him smile because he knew that he cared about her very much if he was already anticipating seeing her when he returned to Port Charles.  
  
They stopped and parked in next to the garage. Damian got out of the car and sighed, "Home."  
  
"Just like you remember it, isn't it?" His Nana asked, completely oblivious.  
  
Damian looked at her, "No, not really. It's changed a lot."  
  
"We didn't paint it or anything," She replied. "Maybe you've just been away too long."  
  
"Yeah, maybe." He walked into the house. His Papi wasn't home yet, if he was, he'd be on his favorite chair. How long was he going to wait until he could confront the man about his lies? 


	63. They're Not Little Boys, Not Anymore

Notes: People are going to die! Stupid weekend, prohibiting me from watching my soap. Oh, I am so very pissed off about that. Anyways, on to the reviews.  
  
Shadow- Thanks for the compliment on the chapter title. I had to check and see what it was, because I really don't put much weight into the chapter titles as I do everything else. I usually just think about something that has a thread in part with what was going on. Don't worry about how you present yourself in your reviews, the fact that you spend time reviewing them is good enough for me. Also, hope you're happy with the baby's gender. I'm looking forward to finding out what Elizabeth's baby is going to be, since it looks like she might survive, although Ric won't. Anyway, best of luck with getting the gender you want, provided you have a favorite, of course.  
  
Joy- To be fair to Sonny (daddy *snicker*), he did put a bullet in the head of the woman he, at the time, loved. If I did that, I'd pretty much swear off of using guns as well. I thought the choice was wise, and from what I've heard it was actually Maurice's choice to do that, although he later said he wanted to take Sonny back to his roots. I could picture Sonny as a loving father who had to deal with the demons of his past life, but it looks like that part of his character is over, and I'm okay with that. As for why we love Sonny being in the mob, I really don't know. You're right, we shouldn't be so supportive of people who make a living doing illegal things and killing people, but the way that they portray Sonny makes you empathize with him. He was abused as a child, and it is well known that children who are given a hard life growing up will often turn to a life of crime, so you kind of feel for him. Plus, you see that he wants to be a better person than a mobster, but it's basically all he knows. The writers created a character with so many layers, some good, some bad, but they all make Sonny such an appealing character, at least for most. The great thing about Faith as a villain is that she's scary, but she's funny. All good villains have that humorous side to them, at least in my eyes. I love Faith, she's probably my favorite established character to write, because she has so many quirks that I can work into my plotting. I'm glad that you're anticipating the chapters to come, I'd hate to think that my story was boring you.  
  
Story-  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
It had been hours since Sonny and Jason had bolted for Los Angeles after Damian, and it had been hours since they had told anyone anything about what was now happening. Those hours didn't go by pleasantly for Carly, Courtney, and Michael. Michael had barricaded himself in his room. He knew something was wrong, and no one was giving him the answers. He was tired of being treated like a little boy. Someone he loved a lot was in trouble and the other people he loved weren't telling him what he wanted and needed to know. He had spent a lot of time just running his hand along the chain that Damian had given him. It was the only thing that brought him comfort.  
  
Downstairs the two women were on the couch. Courtney sighed, "Do you think we should be keeping this from Michael?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Carly asked. "Michael's a little boy, he's my baby, he's not ready to understand that people are always going to try and hurt us because daddy and Uncle Jason do a lot of really bad things to people who probably deserve what happens to them."  
  
"Keeping secrets, not talking about what was going on, that's what caused Michael to lose his voice, Carly!" Courtney pointed out forcefully. "I don't want to see that happen again."  
  
"And you think I do?"  
  
"Of course not, but you are not taking the steps that you should be in order to prevent it from happening again."  
  
"What am I going to do?" Carly wondered as she got up and paced around the room. "Tell my son that his dad will find a way to keep his brother safe? What am I going to do if Sonny comes home and brings Damian back in a casket, huh? How am I going to explain to Michael that daddy couldn't protect him, that daddy couldn't keep his promise?"  
  
"Are you sure that's it, Carly? Or do you want Damian dead, and you just don't want to admit to yourself that there's a chance that he could be coming back."  
  
"I can't believe you're asking me something like that, and I don't appreciate the accusation."  
  
"You've done nothing to go against that accusation, Carly! You've fought with Damian as much as you possibly could and tried to push him away from Sonny and the rest of us. You've never made it anything but apparent that you want him out of our lives!"  
  
"I don't want him dead!" Carly shouted. "Believe me, Courtney. I do not like that kid, in fact, I hate him. But Sonny cares about him, and you do, and my sons do. If he was to die somehow it would crush so many people that I do love, and I couldn't bear to see you all going through such pain."  
  
"Why can't you see that he just wants to live his own life?" Courtney asked. "You thought that he was here to destroy your family, and at the beginning so did I. But I can see that I was really wrong about him. He's scared and insecure about himself and his place in life. He wants a place to belong and he's always been able to turn to his family for support, except for when he came here and everyone that was his family was somehow turning their backs on him. Do you know how much he wishes that things could be different, Carly? How much he would give to actually be a friend to you, to have a relationship that wasn't something that involved the two of you tearing each other apart at every turn? He lost his mother, and you're his step-mother. Did you think that, even for a moment, he would love to have you take her place? Did you ever think that maybe he was looking to you to give him what he had lost when he was so young?"  
  
"I could never be that boy's mother!" Carly was infuriated. "He will never be anything more to me than my husband's bastard child!"  
  
"How does that make him any different than us? Or Jason?" Courtney asked. "We were all born into situations like that. Carly, think about how Bobbie had you."  
  
"It was different then!" Carly defended them all. "This is so much different from what happened with us."  
  
"Is it?" Courtney said. "Sonny was forced to have sex with his mother in order to stay alive. None of them asked for it, but it happened, and we should just help give him a place in our family like he deserves."  
  
"No!"  
  
"He loves your children like they were his always his siblings, Carly! Look at him, how he acted with Michael when Michael was in the hospital. I have no doubt in my mind that if Michael was still in that hospital at this moment, Damian would be there with him, and he would have never left. He has every reason to disregard Michael and Morgan, but he doesn't, because he knows that they are family. He could have just walked away from everything after he found out about Sonny."  
  
"He should have."  
  
"But he didn't because he knows how much Michael adores him, because he knows how much it would hurt Michael if he just stopped coming around for no reason. He doesn't want to hurt anyone."  
  
"And yet he does it anyway, Courtney!" Carly snapped at her best friend. "He comes here with the best of intentions, trying to fulfill the last request of his now dead mother, not worrying about what he does to our lives? He may not want to hurt anyone, but he hurt everyone when he came here."  
  
Courtney shook her head, "No, Carly. He just hurt you because there was something that you couldn't even start to control. You try and keep your family under some protective bubble and he came around shattering it. The only reason you hate him is because you weren't the one that brought him around."  
  
"Why are you doing this to me? Why now?" Carly asked.  
  
"Because you're not worried about him!" Courtney shouted. "The only reason you're wondering if he's even alive right now is because if he is dead then you're going to have to play damage control. Do you realize how sickening that is? That kind of stuff I expect from the Quatermaine's, Carly, but I always figured that you had a heart for people even when they didn't deserve it. It was the only reason that I could think of that made me accept that you still talk with Alcazar."  
  
"I do have a heart, Courtney!"  
  
"Then why not try showing it once in awhile?" Courtney asked as she started up the stairs. "There's a little boy upstairs that is very afraid that his big brother won't ever see him again. I shouldn't be the one to try and help him through this, but if you're not going to then I don't really have a choice."  
  
Michael had been listening since he heard his aunt and his mommy yelling. He hated it when the grown ups fought, it made him very scared and at times he wasn't sure that everyone would still be a family. That possibility was what scared him the most. He loved his family and he wanted them all to stay together.  
  
Courtney, in the heat of the moment, didn't even take into account that Michael might be able to hear her arguing with his mother. She didn't regret yelling at Carly with the only exception being that he could have heard her. Carly deserved to be yelled at, she had for a long time. She would always love Carly, but there were times when she just couldn't understand her best friend. When Courtney saw Michael there she covered her mouth and gasped. It didn't take a genius to realize that he had heard something. "Michael, how long have you been standing there?"  
  
"I heard you and mommy yelling," Michael said sadly. "You and mommy never fight. Sometimes Mommy and Daddy fight, or Mommy and Uncle Jason, but never you, you never fight with anyone!"  
  
"I'm sorry, Michael. You shouldn't have heard me yelling, I should have been more careful."  
  
"Aunt Courtney, he's going to come back, right?" Michael asked. "Damian's going to be fine. Daddy and Uncle Jason will save him from the bad people, won't they?"  
  
"I really hope so, honey. But you need to realize that they can't always fix everything."  
  
"They have to!" Michael exclaimed. "I don't want him to go away again!" Michael started to try. The tears were small at first, but the emotions quickly overcame the boy and he fell to the ground in a sobbing fit. "I didn't even get to tell him goodbye."  
  
Courtney knelt down and hugged him, letting his tears soak into her jacket. "I don't know if they will or not, Michael, but I believe in my heart that they'll find a way to bring your brother back to us alive."  
  
"Mommy doesn't want him back."  
  
"I know that, but your mommy doesn't want him dead, either."  
  
"I wish they could be friends."  
  
Courtney patted him on the back, "I wish they could, too." She held him, staying quiet, just letting him know that she was there for him.  
  
Zuniga Household, Los Angeles-  
  
"You know, you're being awfully quiet, even for you."  
  
"I don't have a lot to say, Nana."  
  
She sat on the couch next to him, "You told me that you needed to talk to us about something. That's the entire reason why you're back in Los Angeles right now. So, you need to talk, I'm right here. Talk."  
  
"This doesn't involve you."  
  
She laughed, "Anything in this family involves me, Damian. Anything in this family involves everyone in this family, you know that. It's the way we work, we're strongest when we're all together."  
  
"We'll never be as strong as we used to be, not with mom gone."  
  
She looked at him sadly, "Is that what this is about? Are you still grieving over your mother?"  
  
"How can I not?" He asked. "She died and she shouldn't have."  
  
"We have to accept that it was part of God's plan," She reached for his hand and he pulled away. "Damian?"  
  
"I'm so sick of hearing that!" He yelled, frustrated. "Every time we talk about it, that's all I hear. It was part of God's plan, God wanted her up there. God, God, God. Did God happen to care about what it would do to us? Did God think that I could handle not having either of my parents around me. Because if God did, then God made a really big mistake."  
  
She gasped, "You know I don't appreciate that tone of voice, and I certainly don't appreciate you spitting on the faith of this family."  
  
"I can't deal with it, not anymore! I've kept my mouth shut and let you all shield yourselves to the reality of the situation with your false pretenses, but I just cannot do that now!"  
  
"We've always accepted your choice to abandon your faith, Damian," She said to him calmly. "But you have to respect our choice to keep ours."  
  
Damian was about to say something when Elias walked into the house after a long day. He smiled when he saw his grandson, "I've missed you so much."  
  
Damian glared at him in such a way that Elias was beyond shocked. The old man spoke once more, "What, you can't give your Papi a hug?"  
  
"I want the truth," Damian demanded. "I know what you did before I was born, but I want to hear you tell it to me!" 


	64. Faith's Pair of Suprises

Notes: Funny how I tend to forget to mark the page number count at the bottom, but I remembered this time. Go me!  
  
Story-  
  
Los Angeles-  
  
Faith walked out of one of the stores that lined up the streets of the great city of Los Angeles with a wide smile on her face. She stepped into her car and laughed, "Do you know how long I've been looking for this fragrance? You just can't get it over in Port Charles."  
  
"Maybe you should think about relocating here permanently if you find it so hard to live in New York without smelling the way you want," Maxie countered spitefully.  
  
Faith rolled her eyes, "Why is the gag not over her mouth? I specifically asked for the gag to be over her mouth at all times! Zander, were you looking for some intelligent conversation from her? Need I remind you just how idiotic this girl is?"  
  
"She was thirsty, Faith," Zander replied. "She's not going to do you any good unless she's kept alive, remember?"  
  
"I remember everything, my dutiful servant. Including the attitude that you give me when I don't request it. How many times must I remind you that you need to remember your place in our little pyramid of power? I'm at the top, and you're way at the bottom." Faith got out a stick of lipstick, "Do you want me to draw you a graph? Would that help?"  
  
"You do realize how much time we've wasted while you gallivanted around this city on a shopping spree, don't you?" Zander wondered. "By now that kid could already be somewhere else."  
  
"Where would he go?" Faith asked. "The only people he knows in this city are his grandparents. He was a loner, he doesn't have any friends. Probably because he has the personality of a dead tree stump."  
  
"Damian is the nicest person alive!" Maxie pointed out. "He has a heart, he cares about people more than he cares about himself, and he would try to help them. That's more htan I can say about you."  
  
Faith pinched Maxie's cheek and laughed, "You know, you're feisty. If I didn't plan on using you for a bartering chip now I might think about putting you on the payroll."  
  
"I'd never work for you, Faith."  
  
"You'd never have a choice, kid," Faith shot back.  
  
"I'd sooner die than spend my time taking orders from someone as self involved and pathetic as you!" She spit on Faith.  
  
Faith made a sound of sheer disgust as she wiped away the spit, slapping Maxie across the face so hard that the side of her mouth started to bleed. Faith, utterly enraged, stared at her, "You're lucky that your boyfriend just happens to be the most vital piece of my plan or else I'd make sure to waste him in front of you just because of that!" She checked herself in the mirror, making sure that she was fine with the spit wiped away, "You know, when it comes to your boyfriends, Maxie, I seem to be the one that makes their mortality rate drop considerably."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Maxie asked, not showing anything in her voice that would give Faith the indication that her slap hurt Maxie, even though it did. Inside she was scared and she wanted to know that she could see the people that she loved one last time.  
  
"You know? The rich kid that ended up dying a month ago. Kevin? Keith? Kenny? What was his name?"  
  
"Kyle."  
  
"Ah, yes, him." Faith grinned at Maxie, "You didn't know that I was the one that ended up giving him the drugs that killed him?"  
  
"Why would you do something like that?" Maxie asked.  
  
"You graduated High School, didn't you?" Faith mocked Maxie. "You had to take economics. Do you need me to explain it? Fine. Money can be exchanged for goods and or services. Kyle had the money, I had the goods. We did the exchange thing and I was able to buy something pretty for myself while he got the most potent drugs that I had. A pity he ended up dying, he most certainly would have been a returning costumer if he hadn't have been so stupid and overdosed. Of course, I suppose he would have done it eventually, although I still wish that I could have gotten more money from him. No use crying over spilled milk and body bags, I suppose."  
  
"You don't even care that a young man died because of what you gave him! You, you're so horrible!"  
  
"Please, girl," Faith said. "I know what kind of kid that Kyle was. He was lower than most of the people that I employ, and that's really saying a lot. Don't you remember all the stuff that he did to you? Keeping you around for drugs and sex, making sure that you were always at his side even though he treated you like you were nothing. Don't try and get all self- righteous on me right now, because I know that you're perfectly content with that boy being six feet under."  
  
"That's a lie!" Maxie said. "I may hate Kyle, but I never thought he deserved to die. He was a horrible person, and he probably would have continued to act that way for the rest of his life, but I saw what type of person he was and left him for it. Maybe he would have changed, maybe not, but he at least deserved the chance to live long enough to make his choice. You didn't even give him that!"  
  
Faith grinned, "You going to cry over him?"  
  
"I'm through shedding tears for Kyle," Maxie instantly replied.  
  
"How long will you cry if I happen to off the new boy on accident?" Faith asked.  
  
"If you hurt Damian in any way, Faith, you're going to end up dead for it! Sonny's not going to let you kill his son, and I'll make sure that my dad puts the entire PCPD after you."  
  
Faith laughed, "I'm so very afraid of the morons that your father employs, Maxie." Faith grabbed the gag and put it around Maxie's mouth. "You provided me with an outlet, but I've already grown tired of hearing your voice. I've more important things to do with my time now than worry about you. Let's go find that boyfriend of yours, shall we?"  
  
Zuniga Household-  
  
Elias looked at his grandson, the only link that he had left to his daughter, the child that was supposed to give him so much. Ana-Maria had showed so much promise. An excellent student, compassionate, she had many colleges all around the country looking for her, hoping that she would get an education there and use her talents to help better the world. That all changed the night that the old feud was brought back into the light. The night that she was tainted with a man that was not her husband. How could Damian have found out about that part of the past? It was forbidden to talk about the old ties in front of the grandchildren, even his children were only marginally aware of the past that their father once lived through. It was for their own safety. They knew enough to keep them alive, and didn't ask any more. Elias played Damian for a fool, "I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
Damian snickered, "For someone who lives by such a strict theocracy as you, you sure do go against that Bible that you love so much. Wasn't one of the first things they taught you not to lie to anyone? Especially your family."  
  
"I don't appreciate being called a liar!" Elias shouted.  
  
"I don't care what you appreciate, Papi!" Damian snapped back. "Tell me the truth or I will take you to your grave with nothing but hatred in my heart for you. Don't make me hate you, Papi. I don't want to hate you."  
  
"How could you say such things to your Papi?" His grandmother asked. "He raised you from the moment you were born, he's the only father figure you've ever had!"  
  
Elias shook his head, "Victoria, stop."  
  
She looked over, "But he is dragging down your good name!"  
  
Again Elias shook his head, "No, mi Corazon, the only ones who do that are you and I."  
  
"Elias," She let her voice hang.  
  
"He is correct. We live our lives by the good book, yet we betray that word every day by not telling him of the past that he has a right to know about." Elias turned to Damian, "We only did it to protect you, Damian. You grew up without a father, and then you lost your mother. You've been through so much already and we're both so very proud of the way that you've handled it, especially given your youth. But we felt that this was something that would break you and we would eventually lose you the same way we lost your mother. That would kill us both, because we love you so much. Victoria," He called out, "Please leave us. This is something that I must do alone."  
  
The silence hung over them both when Victoria was gone. It wasn't easy for either. Damian felt some regret over the words that he used on his grandfather. But he did believe that he could hate Elias if he wasn't honest with him anymore. Damian felt that he deserved to be told the truth, and he knew that he really did. It was more than Elias's past that was being affected, Damian was brought into the world because of that past. No matter how hard he tried to deny it, that past was always going to be a part of him.  
  
"You must never blame your Nana for any of this," Elias began. "She is the only reason that I am still alive, and through her the only reason that you and everyone else in my family breathes. If it were not for Victoria's love, I would have been dead long ago. She took me from the edge and showed me the light, she is innocent in this, perhaps as innocent as you. She lied to you only because we agreed that all of you should never deal with my sins. I never intended for you to find out."  
  
"You intended to lie to me for my entire life. You would have taken this to your grave, wouldn't you?"  
  
Elias nodded, "As much as it pains me to say it, yes. I would have died never speaking this words to you if I could have managed it. I know how much they hurt you."  
  
"They don't hurt me as much as knowing that you lied to me, Papi," Damian said softly. "You've always taught me to be honest about anything, no matter how hard the truth was. How many other things have you lied about to me?"  
  
"I swear on the name of my beloved Ana-Maria that everything else I have told you in your life is entirely true," Elias stated. "You know my love for your mother eclipses that of anything else in my heart, I would never use her name in vain."  
  
"I know, neither would I."  
  
"How did you find out?" Elias asked. "The people in New York, they should not care about the activities of a former criminal in Los Angeles."  
  
"My father lives in Port Charles, Papi," Damian said. "He has a wife and two children who he loves very much."  
  
"El Diablo," Elias muttered. "The one that took something from my daughter that she could never hope to get back. Tell me, is he a good man?"  
  
Damian struggled for the words, "I don't know. I want to believe that he is, Papi, because he is my father and I want to have respect for him. But, much like you, he has lied to me about the things that he did in his life. I lived with him for a time, but when I found that he lied to me about his activity with the mob I had to leave. I cannot accept being around people that would not give me the honesty that I give them."  
  
"Why did you not come back home to Los Angeles?" Elias wondered. "We will always take you in, Damian. This is your home as much as it was when you left."  
  
"I cannot leave Port Charles, Papi. There are people that I care about and I know they cannot get by with me being gone. He has a son, not even 10, named Michael. That boy is not even his by blood, but he loved Michael in ways that some blood parents do not show their children. And I love Michael as well, he is my little brother and he looks to me for support. I cannot leave him, I cannot cause him the pain that my departure would bring upon him. There is also the baby, Morgan. I want to be in their lives as much as I possibly can, because they are family and they deserve to know that I care about them."  
  
Elias listened, but he could tell that there was something else. "There is more that you are not telling me. It is more than the people that you have found that are your family through your father. What are you keeping from me?"  
  
"I wasn't going to keep it from you, you interrupted me. I have found more than family in New York. I have found friends, people that respect me for who I am and how I act. But there is still more, I have found someone that I love."  
  
"Victoria will be happy to hear this," Elias noted. "She always worried that you would be too shy to find a person that would make you happy."  
  
"She makes me very happy, Papi. I think of her constantly, and know that she thinks of me as well."  
  
"Will you marry this girl?"  
  
"I would like to think that one day we would be married, yes. But that is a very long time down the road. She is important, but she respects my choice to become a doctor. If we truly love one another, it will last until I am done with my schooling."  
  
"I had never imagined that you would find so much in a place so far away from us," Elias boasted proudly. "It shows me now more than ever that you are no longer the boy that I held in my arms after you were born, but you are a young man that I can depend on to do the good that I know your mother would have if she had not been taken from us so soon. I am sorry that I lied to you, Damian."  
  
"I know you are, and I know why you thought that doing such a thing was the right thing to do, but it was not."  
  
"Do you forgive me?"  
  
"I suppose I do."  
  
"And what of your father?" Elias wondered. "His reasons for the lies that he told you are not much different from the ones that I told you, are they?"  
  
Damian shook his head, "Forgiving Sonny is something that I do not believe I can do. He lied to me directly, Papi. I asked him why there were so many people that wanted him out of their way, and he gave me an answer that had some truth, but was not what I was looking for."  
  
"The life he leads is full of corruption, Damian. He was trying to keep you safe."  
  
"I do not need him to keep me safe," Damian replied as he heard a knock. Since he was closest to the door he got up to answer it, but not before turning his head back, "I can take care of myself."  
  
As soon as he opened the door he saw Faith looking at him, "Can you now?"  
  
68 


	65. Choices

Los Angeles International Airport-  
  
Much like the intention had been the entire time, Sonny was able to conceal any firearms from the inspectors that tried to find out if there was anything questionable in the plane. He spent enough money furnishing the plane with the best and most ingenious designs that he could find, if they didn't work he was going to be a very angry person. He also arranged to get an escort out of the airport without going through the airport itself. His connections did stretch as far as Los Angeles, although he had to call in a few old favors to get such agreements. None of that mattered, he just wanted to make sure that his son was going to be okay.  
  
Sonny got in the passenger's seat of the car, Jason was his driver. They had other guards in other cars, all with the instructions to kill anyone that tried to hurt Damian in any way, and if he was already dead, to kill Faith if she was there. "You're not getting away with this, Faith. No one threatens my kids."  
  
"Can you do this, Sonny?" Jason asked. "Do you want me to do it for you? I know how irrational you get in situations like this, and it might make you careless. I don't want to worry about protecting you and Damian."  
  
Sonny shook his head, "You're not going to need to worry about me at all, Jason. Because I've never been this focused about anything in my life. Faith is going to die for trying to hurt my kid, and if she's already managed to hurt him, she's going to suffer before she dies. She's going to know that no one does anything to anyone in my family without dealing with me."  
  
"Do you know where they live?" Jason asked.  
  
Sonny thought back to his time here, when he met the woman that would father his first child. "I'll never forget that house, Jason. Not as long as I live. Drive. Every second that we waste is one that could be the difference between life and death."  
  
"Are you going to kill her in front of him?" Jason asked. "He knows what you do, he hates what you do. Even though you came here to protect him, what's to say he'll want to come back with you if you kill someone in front of him."  
  
"I don't care what he thinks about me after today, Jason. I just want him to know that I will protect him no matter what. He needs to know that, even with our disagreements, I'd do anything for him."  
  
"I think he already knows that, Sonny. Somewhere inside him, he knows."  
  
"He might not get the chance to realize it unless we hurry up!" Sonny sat in the seat, his eyes showing his sheer intensity.  
  
Zuniga Household-  
  
If there were anyone else other than Faith Rosco at the door, Damian probably would have celebrated. After all, it would have been a rare moment in life, when someone came to the house looking for him. Of course, being that it was Faith Rosco, her reasons probably weren't all that great. Damian tried to shut the door in her face, but she put her leg out and stopped the door from closing. "Now, is that any way to treat a guest?"  
  
"You're not a guest."  
  
Faith looked down at her shoe, "You got it dirty. I hope you intend on paying me for a new pair of shoes now."  
  
"Sorry, I left my money back in Port Charles. If you want to wait for me over there, I'll be glad to give it to you."  
  
Faith grinned, "What I've got in store for you is worth more than a few pairs of boots, Damian. Why don't you come with me?"  
  
"Because I've still got some sanity?" Damian asked.  
  
"Mocking me isn't going to get you anywhere, kid."  
  
"Will pushing you out the door do me any good?"  
  
Faith turned away and motioned for a few of her guards to come out of the car. Of course, Zander and Maxie stayed behind, Maxie still gagged. There was no reason for Damian to know that Faith had his girlfriend in her custody. At least not yet. When they surrounded her, Faith turned back to Damian, "I don't think so. Because if you do try push me out of the house, those big muscular men out there will just find a way to push me back in. And, should you manage to get me out of the house and close the door, they'll break it down. You wouldn't want to replace a door, now would you?"  
  
"How did you find out where my family lived?" Damian asked.  
  
Faith giggled a bit, "I don't know what your family did to deserve the scorn that it gets in this area, but people were more than willing to let me know where every single person with the last name of 'Zuniga' lived in this area. Nice to know that you've got such concerned neighbors."  
  
"Damian? Who is at the door?" Victoria came down the stairs.  
  
"Nana, don't!" Damian yelled.  
  
"Oh, come now," Faith said coyly. "I won't bite your precious grandmother, at least not that hard."  
  
"What's going on?" Victoria asked, obviously confused. "Who are you? Why are you in my home?"  
  
Faith walked closer to Victoria, "I'm a friend of your grandson's."  
  
"When did we become friends, Faith?" Damian asked.  
  
"About two seconds ago," Faith said. "When my men put that gun up to your head."  
  
Out of the corner of his eye, Damian could see that one of them did have a gun pointed directly at him. He would be dead if it went off. "Let my grandparents go, Faith. It's me you want."  
  
Faith laughed, "Do you think I don't know how to play this game, kid? If you know that they're safe what's to keep you from being the sacrificial lamb? You religious types like that, don't you? No, I think I'll keep the old folks around with us just for a little while longer. They add more to the collateral."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Damian made no sudden movements, he didn't want the hired help to blow his brains out.  
  
"So much to learn, so little time to be taught," Faith stated. "I'm going to use you as leverage against your beloved daddy. Sonny will come rushing to you and will give me anything I want in order to keep you alive."  
  
"Do you really think that Sonny cares enough about me to give up everything that he's ever worked for?" Damian grinned. "We might be father and son, but we don't exactly have heart to heart conversations."  
  
"I'm aware of your estrangement," Faith said. "But the thing is Sonny's a man with very questionable ethics. Questionable in the way that he actually claims to have ethics. See, in our business, you have to be ruthless in order to get anywhere. When Sonny decided that he wanted to be a good daddy to the carrot top and the miracle baby he lost a whole lot of his edge. Now he'll do anything to protect his children, all of them. Even the bastard."  
  
"You're only fooling yourself if you believe that, Faith."  
  
"Am I?" Faith asked. "Or are you the one that's fooling yourself, trying to think that daddy doesn't care about you when he does. Trying to push yourself away from his regime as much as possible never realizing that you're always going to be in it, no matter how much you try and get away. You made the biggest mistake of your life when you decided that you wanted to let the world know that you were a Corinthos, Damian. Now, you have to live with the consequences."  
  
"I won't help you hurt my father in any way, financially or personally, Faith. I won't be used as a pawn in this game that you all play." Damian turned and looked at the man with the gun, "You want to kill me? Fine. But if you do, I can assure you that someday you're going to be killed for doing it. How badly do you want to die, goon? Are you willing to take the money that Faith is giving you for this service in exchange for a very limited time on the clock of life?"  
  
"Your attempt at nobility is noted," Faith said. "But let's not forget that I could kill both of your grandparents just for fun."  
  
Damian turned around and faced Faith once more, "Leave them alone!"  
  
Faith laughed, "See how foolish you are? You think that we work in ways that we only use the direct objects, but we can improvise." She moved her hand down Victoria's cheek. To her credit, Victoria showed no fear on her face. "How long do you think it would take for a bullet to the chest to kill her? A few minutes at the most. We can test it out, if you want."  
  
"Get your hand off of her!"  
  
"Temper, temper. Maybe you're more like Sonny than I thought," Faith moved her hand away from Victoria. "I'll make you a deal, if you help me get what I want, I'll make sure that your grandparents don't meet the reaper just yet. Although I doubt they've got many years left, and I might just be putting them out of their misery."  
  
"You won't use me or my family in this, Faith!" Damian yelled. "We're not going to be part of this."  
  
"Don't you see that I hold all the cards in my hand?"  
  
"I don't give a damn how many cards you have, Faith. We will not be played by anyone. Let alone you."  
  
Faith rolled her eyes, "You know, I really didn't want to pull my trump card, but you aren't giving me a choice. Zander!" She yelled as loud as she could. "You should watch who comes out of the car, kid. You'll see that cooperating with me is the only way to keep your sanity."  
  
Damian turned around and saw Zander get out of the car. He pulled Maxie out, although he was sure to do it with care. Zander and Maxie walked up, Maxie bound and gagged. She looked up at Damian and muttered something, but the gag made it little more than gibberish. Damian, never taking his eyes off of Maxie, let Faith know how he felt about her, "You're sick, twisted, and demented, Faith. You know that?"  
  
"Flattery will get you nowhere. Take another look at your girlfriend. If you love her as much as you claim to, you won't let her get any more injured than she already is."  
  
"What did you do to her?" Damian demanded to know.  
  
Faith walked away from Victoria and stood right next to Damian, "Nothing too bad. But you know that those bounds we've got her in aren't exactly the most painless things in the world. So, how much do you care about the blondie and your family, Damian? Enough to be my bartering chip?"  
  
"You don't know anything about love for anyone other than yourself, Faith!" Damian shouted. "How can you even pretend to be enjoying this unless you're a heartless bitch!"  
  
"I don't appreciate the name calling, but I'll give you that comment, just once." Faith grabbed him by the cheeks, "Make your choice, kid."  
  
"I won't be used by you, Faith."  
  
Faith sighed, "Zander, kill the girl."  
  
Zander shook his head, "I'm not going to kill her, Faith."  
  
"Don't argue with me!" Faith shouted. "Be a good monkey and obey my command!"  
  
"No!" Zander barked back, "I promised her that I wouldn't hurt her, and I happen to think that my word means something."  
  
Faith rolled her eyes, "Fine." She turned to one of the other goons, "You, kill the girl."  
  
He nodded, pointed the gun, and fired. 


	66. Actions and Words

Joy- I am sorry that you fell behind, but I do update this thing daily. You think it's bad for you? Other people might be behind, and I have one friend who is just waiting for some time before he starts reading this. I feel bad for him. Really, really bad. I've said it before and I'll say it again, this religious thing is really hard for me to do, since I pretty much loathe religion and don't know a lick about it. The basis I got for Damian was that he's Mexican-American, and most people of Mexican descent are Catholic (I ain't, but the majority are, apparently), and I really wanted him to be the type who gave up on that part of his life because of his own tragedy. Regardless, I'd really like to believe that people of the Catholic faith do indeed doubt their own faith at one time or another. I mean, doesn't everyone? If I'm wrong, and if I have offended any Catholic readers in any way, I do apologize, but it was not my intent. I actually don't want Damian to reconnect with God in this, because I want him to be free of the ways he once adhered to. It would always be a conflict for him, as evident when he went to the chapel thing at the Hospital when he was waiting for his paternity test (which, really, seems like a lifetime ago when it was only like a month and a half ago that it was posted), but in the end he'd always feel that it failed him because of his mother and never fully embrace it. Of course, this could change, even I don't know every little detail of my own story before I write it. Your reviews do help, don't ever think that they don't. Thanks for the compliments on Elias, at least I gave him a name, and Victoria too. I felt bad always referring to them as Nana or Papi, but now that is no longer a problem. I'm glad you like Damian, too. Really, if people didn't like Damian, I'd feel bad.  
  
Both Joy and Rosa- As demanded, here is the resolution to that god awful cliffhanger. Look at it this way, at least you don't have to wait till Monday for a resolution. You only got to wait a day.  
  
Story-  
  
None of them had any time to scream or do anything but watch. Damian thought that the only person that he had ever connected with on a level like he had with Maxie would be killed in a heartbeat. Maxie prepared for the worst, sad that she wasn't able to say goodbye to Georgie, Mac, Dillon, and Damian. That last one hurt her the most. She would be killed in front of the person that she loved so much. He had already seen someone die in front of his eyes. Could he survive another death in front of his eyes? She wouldn't survive a point blank attack like that, the bullet would kill her in time. A single tear rushed down her cheek as she prepared for her end.  
  
But Maxie Jones felt nothing. Instead she heard the wail of pain coming from someone else, a voice that she knew very well. She opened her eyes and saw Zander on the ground, his suit stained with his own blood. He took the bullet for her, his body as unprotected as her own.  
  
"Zander, what the hell are you doing?!" Faith screamed, extremely disappointed in her head lackey. She hadn't expected him to be so unruly, and she certainly hadn't expected him to put himself in the path of a bullet for anyone else. She would never do something like that. Of course, Zander was busy bleeding to death, his eyes beginning to glaze over, but he managed to stay alive for a time. The bullet, aimed for Maxie's chest, was instead lodged inside Zander's side. It wasn't a fatal wound, but it could be if it wasn't treated in time.  
  
"Emily," Zander muttered as he saw the vision of the only person he ever loved, the only person that he ever trusted. She had broken his heart, but he would always love her.  
  
More shots were fired without warning. Faith was too busy looking at Zander and wondering why he had done the things that he did to notice that the shots didn't come from any of her people. She screamed, "I didn't order any other bullets to be fired!"  
  
"None of your men did the shooting, Faith."  
  
Faith looked up to see Sonny and Jason standing there in the walkway. She looked to her sides and saw that her men had been disposed of. Their bloodied bodies riddled the ground.  
  
Sonny smiled, "The other men that you had standing around outside have also been taken care of. You were careless, Faith. You thought that I didn't know what was going on, and you were wrong. Take a look around you. See any of the people that you had working for you still alive? Aside from Zander here, I don't think so. You're going to be my message to everyone, Faith. You're going to be the one that lets people know that no one messes with any of my children."  
  
Faith started to panic. She took a step towards Sonny, "I don't suppose that I could apologize and walk away with a slap on the wrist."  
  
"You'd be lucky to leave with your wrist still attached to your hand, Faith," Sonny countered.  
  
In actuality, Faith wasn't walking towards, Sonny, but towards the barely conscious Zander. She quickly dropped to the ground and grabbed his gun, coming up and pointing it at Victoria. "Let me go or Granny's going to be another casualty in this little battle of ours, Sonny."  
  
"Don't you see, Faith? You've lost."  
  
Faith laughed, "I never lose, Sonny, not till I say so. This is just a momentary distraction." Faith jiggled the trigger, "Now are you going to let your son's beloved grandmother bite the bullet for your own pride?"  
  
Sonny looked at Faith, his eyes full of intensity. Jason was by his side, he didn't know what to do either. Damian, however, was not as hesitant, "Sonny, don't let her die, please!" He would protect the people that he cared about, even if it meant letting someone like Faith Rosco run free. It didn't matter. In time someone would find her and kill her, but he wasn't going to let someone die just so he could have that satisfaction now. He had almost lost Maxie, he wasn't going to lose his Nana, not today.  
  
"How long do you think you can run from my people, Faith?" Sonny asked. "You've just done the worst thing you've ever done. You tried to hurt my family, and I will see to it that you are hounded down for eternity."  
  
"I'm good at hiding," Faith snapped back. She was much calmer now, she knew that she had the upper hand again.  
  
"We'll find out how good, Faith," Sonny told her. "But if I ever see you again, ever, I will shoot you where you stand and I will make sure that you die personally. Better run now, Faith, I don't know how long I'll be this generous."  
  
Faith dashed out the back door, running as fast as she could. She didn't care about the damage that it did to her heels, she could find a way to replace them. Her life wasn't something that she could replace.  
  
Damian hugged Maxie, who was shaking, the raw emotions from the day finally catching up to her. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Zander," She said, looking down at him. His face was so pale. "Please, someone has to help him!"  
  
"Why?" Sonny asked. "He took you hostage, didn't he?"  
  
Damian paid no attention to his father. Instead he reached over to pull the curtain from the hanger and balled the cloth up, putting pressure on the wound. "I have to stop the bleeding, but I don't know how long it's going to keep him alive. Someone call an ambulance."  
  
"No one is doing anything!" Sonny ordered. "This man worked for one of my enemies and tried to kill people that are important to you, let alone yourself. I won't let him live."  
  
"Didn't you tell me that there were times when you couldn't do anything but what your boss was ordering because if you went against their word you would be dead, Sonny?" Damian asked, looking up, his hands stained with Zander's blood. "Isn't that the entire reason why I'm here? Zander saved Maxie's life, I'm not going to stand by and let him die, no matter who orders it. Not even you."  
  
Sonny made the call himself. He could talk his way into getting people over that wouldn't care about the bodies that were lying around. He let Faith think that he didn't have that much flak on the other end of the country. She didn't know how wrong she was.  
  
They were there within minutes, and they took Zander away on a gurney. Maxie watched and prayed that he would be all right. He had put himself in the way of that bullet. He had fulfilled his promise to keep her safe no matter what. He didn't have to, but he did. She fell on the ground, "Please, let him be all right." She felt a hand on her shoulder and jerked away instinctively. So many people had touched her on that day, looking to hurt her.  
  
"Maxie, it's okay. It's me."  
  
She turned her head up and saw him. He was smiling at her, but she knew that inside he was a mess. He hated violence, but it was a part of his life, some would say the biggest part of his life. She didn't matter what people thought about him. She had seen him today. He would throw himself away for her, for his family. Damian would do anything to protect the people that he cared for. She was lucky enough that she was on that list. Maxie got up and threw herself into his arms, sobbing. "I was so afraid that I was going to die."  
  
"Its okay, Maxie," Damian brushed his hand through her hand gently. "I was never as afraid as I was when Faith told that goon to kill you. Maxie, I thought I was going to lose you, like I lost my mother." His eyes watered up, "Promise me that you'll never make me go through that again, please."  
  
"Do you both have any idea how lucky you are?" Sonny asked as he walked up. "Faith has killed so many people in her life without batting an eyelash. How could you be so irresponsible?"  
  
Damian turned around and looked at his father, "I came here to confront my grandfather about the same lies that you told me, I didn't know that Faith was going to come up and try to kill me!"  
  
"You always have to be alert, Damian!" Sonny reprimanded his son. "You're my son, and that will always put you in danger."  
  
"I know," Damian muttered. "I know that now. I thought I could avoid it, but Elizabeth was right."  
  
"Elizabeth?" Sonny asked.  
  
"She said that no matter what happened, people would never see me as anything more than your son. They wouldn't care that I have nothing to do with your operations, that I hate the fact that you've just been able to kill people in front of me without batting an eye. They'll just see me as a part of some game."  
  
"I did all of this to protect you!" Sonny said.  
  
"I know, and I thank you for that." Damian let go of Maxie, "I need to ask you a favor."  
  
"I'm listening."  
  
"Make sure that Faith never gets her hands on Zander, ever again. I don't mean while he's just in the hospital. Help him come up with a new identity. Help him get away from this life."  
  
"Why should I?" Sonny asked.  
  
"Because he helped save Maxie's life!" Damian shouted. "Can't you see that? He threw himself in front of that bullet, doesn't that mean anything to you?" When Sonny said nothing, and made no motion that he was caring, Damian gave Sonny a situation that would make him care, "What would you do if he threw himself in front of Carly, or Me, or Michael, or Morgan? Think about the people that you claim to care about, Sonny. You say that you'll do anything to protect them, and I know I'll do the same for the people that I care about. But today, I couldn't protect Maxie. She would have died if it wasn't for Zander. I can't just turn a blind eye at that. I want him to be happy, I want him to be safe. Please, do this for me."  
  
Sonny stared intently at his son. He was so mature, so unlike Sonny. But they had that one common thread, they were loyal to the people that they cared about. Hearing Damian tell him how much he cared about Maxie, and comparing that love to his own for Carly, it opened Sonny's eyes. He couldn't deny the request, "I'll see what I can do."  
  
"Damian," Victoria called out to him softly. She was holding a cup of coffee. It was the only thing that was keeping her nerves even somewhat manageable. "Could you come inside the kitchen for a moment, please?"  
  
"You going to be okay?" Damian asked Maxie. When she nodded at him, he left. He sat right next to his Nana, "What is it?"  
  
"Why do you hold such animosity towards your father?" Victoria asked.  
  
"Nana, look at him! Look at the people that he killed, and look at how it doesn't even phase him."  
  
"He did it for you."  
  
"I know that!" Damian said.  
  
"But do you also know how much he cares for you?" Victoria asked. "I have no reason to love that man, he took my daughter and he used her and then he left, I should hate him. But I cannot hate someone that loves you as much as he does. You have known this man for only a month, and already he is willing to throw his life down for you."  
  
"It doesn't make what he did right," Damian muttered.  
  
"Good people do bad things for good reason, Damian. Many people have killed in order to protect the people that they love. Would you have killed that woman to save me, or that girl that you care for?"  
  
"This isn't the same," Damian said softly.  
  
"Because he is not as affected by it as you are does not change the meaning, Damian. You would have, we both know it. If you had to, you would have done it."  
  
"I'm so confused, Nana. I want to care about my father, but there is so much that I cannot accept about him."  
  
"Then you should only focus on the parts that you can accept." She thought back to another time, long before Damian was born. "When Elias was in the mob, when he was doing those horrible things, I knew that deep down inside of him there was a good man that was only trying to provide for himself. Your grandfather had nothing, Damian. His mother struggled to keep him and his siblings alive, because their father had long since left them. It was not easy, and she could not provide the love that Elias yearned for. It was why he turned to crime, because he needed a way to express his anger towards the world. Many people told me that there was nothing I could do to sway him, but I did not listen. I still hated what he was, but I realized that it was not everything that he was. Look at us now, we have been happily married for many years and he has become a much better man than he ever would have been if it weren't for me."  
  
"I can't do it," Damian said, sadly.  
  
"Damian Mario Zuniga, that man is your father, there is no way you can deny him."  
  
"I never denied that he was my father, Nana," Damian said.  
  
"But you deny him the name. No child should ever speak to their father the way that you do. Your mother would not want that."  
  
"I hope I'm not interrupting much," Sonny said as he walked in, "but we're going to take Maxie back to Port Charles. Mac's probably throwing a fit wondering where she is. Don't worry about any of the damages that have been caused, Mrs. Zuniga. I will have some of my people come and replace and repair anything that you want, free of charge."  
  
"That is very generous of you," Victoria said.  
  
Sonny turned around and started to walk away, but he tossed his head behind his shoulder, "For what it's worth, I'm sorry about Ana. I know how much she meant to you and your husband."  
  
Victoria smiled and nodded, "She gave us something that would always remind us of her."  
  
"Yeah, I guess she did. Damian, you can catch a flight back like you planned, right?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
His eyes were shielded from his son, so Damian couldn't see that Sonny was actually disappointed. His voice didn't show it, though. "I'll see you when I see you, then." Sonny, Maxie, and Jason all left the house, heading towards one of the cars. Sonny's people followed, heading towards another car.  
  
"You should go with him, Damian," Victoria said as she walked to the walkway. "He is your father, and you should be with him now."  
  
"But I didn't even get to spend any time with you."  
  
"I had twenty glorious years with you, Damian. He has had none. Go."  
  
Damian nodded and hugged Victoria, "I love you." He pushed away and dashed after Sonny. "Wait, So-" He stopped himself. A part of him that had put up the wall between calling him Sonny and calling him something else, something that showed their relationship, it was strong. But Damian knew that his Nana was right. Sonny deserved more, especially after today. "Can I go back to Port Charles with you, dad?"  
  
Sonny's face beamed with pride. His son had called him 'dad.' To some it was something that was so miniscule, but to Sonny it meant so much more. "You know you can." 


	67. Say Uncle

Aboard Sonny's plane-  
  
Maxie rested her head in Damian's lap as they sat on one of the couches that was placed inside of Sonny's private plane. Damian had to admit that the plane was a whole lot nicer than spending time on a coach flight with screaming baby and rambling old people who spoke of 'the war,' but he wasn't into materialistic things. He could make do with that which was given to him, and if it included suffering on an extended flight from Los Angeles to New York and then an even smaller plane flight from New York to Port Charles then so be it. Still, the seats were rather cushiony. 'Dad,' the name still felt foreign to him, but he had called Sonny by the title that Sonny should have had from the beginning. In part, he had earned it. Sonny had been supportive of Damian, helping him with the costs of living that came with being a student. He wasn't struggling as much as he would have been if Sonny hadn't been there for him, and he appreciated that. But it was more than the money, Sonny hadn't pushed himself on Damian, giving him the room to accept the part of Sonny's life that he felt he couldn't accept and even somewhat dealing with the fact that Damian had been pushing him away for a time. It was a small thing, but to both of them it meant more than the meaning that it would give off to people at first.  
  
Damian stroked Maxie's hair with his fingers and smiled at her. She couldn't see his smile, and he didn't care. It was still a scary thought when he took note of the situation that he was in. When he realized just how close he was to losing her.  
  
Maxie turned her head up, "I hope Zander is okay."  
  
"I'm sure they got him to the hospital in time, Maxie," Damian told her, although he really wasn't sure if Zander had gotten to the hospital in time. He wasn't even sure his father managed to get Zander to the hospital. He said he was going to, but how much weight could be put on Sonny's word? Damian searched himself for the answer to that question and he came to a conclusion, a considerable amount. He knew that Sonny had worked harder than he had ever in his life to mend the fences that had been driven between father and son. He wouldn't put that newfound trust between himself and Damian at risk already, would he? Even if he wasn't worrying about the value of Sonny's word, there was still the problem of the wound that Zander had been inflicted with while he took that bullet for Maxie. Damian had never seen so much blood in his life, and he had never been that nervous about anything. He wasn't a doctor, he wasn't even close to being one at the time, but he had managed to keep Zander alive long enough to get him some help. It was the least he could do for the man that had saved the life of the woman that he loved. Damian had to ask, "Why did he do that, Maxie? Why did Zander take that bullet for you? It would have been so much easier for him to just watch you die." He thought about it and shook his head, "I'm sorry, that came out extremely wrong."  
  
She shook her head, "I know what you mean, Damian. Why would someone like Zander put any worth on my life, especially over his own?" Maxie got up and looked at him eye to eye, "He's a good guy, Damian. I've seen him when he was acting like a person that people could learn to be friends with. Zander helped me once when I was really scared and I've helped him a few times, too. We weren't close, but we were still friends. I know he didn't want to drag me into danger, but he wouldn't have lived as long as he did if he had disobeyed Faith's orders. But even when I was with them, he promised me that he wouldn't let anything bad happen to me. It looks like he kept his promise. I don't know why he did it, I don't know why he threw himself in front of that bullet, but I won't say I'm not thankful that he did."  
  
"Neither will I," Damian murmured. Hearing Maxie tell her what Zander said gave him an epiphany. There was a lot of things that he would never accept about the life that his father lead, but he could accept that Sonny was, at the core, a decent man. None of them were without their faults. Damian might have seemed saintly to some, but he still had his extreme insecurities about himself and his place in the world, and at times those could lead to severe bouts of depression. Who was he to call his father's character into question when he was blinding himself to one side of the coin?  
  
Damian looked over at Maxie, wanting to speak with her some more. She was, after all, his primary confidante. But he couldn't speak with her, because her eyes were closed as she placed her head on the arm of the couch. She was asleep. Obviously the toll of the past few hours had been too much for her. She deserved the rest. They all did. Damian got up and grabbed a blanket, placing it over her shoulder. He owed Zander a debt that he could never hope to repay.  
  
Damian walked into another section of his father's plane. They had much to discuss. But Sonny was nowhere to be found. Jason was the only one that was there. "Where's my dad at?" Damian asked.  
  
Jason looked over. He was still getting used to Damian referring to Sonny as something other than Sonny. He was still happy that Damian had finally decided to acknowledge that part, and he knew how much Sonny enjoyed it as well. "He's making sure that the people he has hunting down Faith are going to keep her away from you and anyone else in our family."  
  
"Our family," Damian muttered.  
  
"Courtney's going to be so glad that you're all right. So is Michael."  
  
"I'm pretty thankful that I managed to come out in one piece as well," Damian replied with a small grin. The only way he could deal with the fact that he was relatively steps away from death's door was to at least make a little joke out of it. Humor could be used as a defense mechanism, and in this case it was. "I would have liked it that neither of them knew, though. I hate it when I worry people."  
  
"You always had your father worried about you since the moment you walked out of that door," Jason said.  
  
"I can't change the past," Damian said. "And, even if I could, I don't know if I would. I've accepted what my father is and at times what it makes him do, but I still don't like it."  
  
"No one is asking you to," Jason commented. "At least I'm certainly not."  
  
"Should I start calling you 'Uncle Jason?'" Damian asked.  
  
Rare was it when Jason Morgan found himself at a loss for words, but he was at that moment. "Why would you ask me something like that?"  
  
"I didn't mean to offend you," Damian really wasn't expecting Jason to give him that look. It was actually a bit scary.  
  
"You didn't offend me, I'm just wondering why."  
  
Damian sat down across from Jason, "You're married to my father's sister, that makes you my Uncle. Maybe not by blood, but I've always felt that blood doesn't always make someone family, and marriage certainly does. I guess I'm just old fashioned in that way."  
  
"I'm not even ten years older than you," Jason said.  
  
Damian laughed, "You've obviously had very little experience being around Mexican families. Age doesn't mean anything to us. Some of Aunts and Uncles are barely older than me, and they're still entitled to that title. I don't know, it doesn't make very much sense, but it's the way I was raised."  
  
Jason grinned a little bit. The way Damian was explaining his family seemed like something that was in such contrast to the cold life that the Quatermaine's lead. He didn't even call Tracy 'Aunt Tracy' although she was. There just wasn't any reason to do it, even before the accident. "You do whatever makes you feel the most comfortable."  
  
"Uncle Jason it is, then," Damian said coyly.  
  
"I'm going to need some time to adjust to that."  
  
"So am I."  
  
Sonny walked in from the front of the plane, "We should be back home within an hour. Did I interrupt anything?"  
  
"Just some casual reacquainting," Damian informed his father.  
  
"Why doesn't that fill me with any comfort?" Sonny asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Because you're too cautious about everything, dad," Damian quickly countered. "You can't live your life on the edge all the time, you know."  
  
"It's how I've managed to survive this long," Sonny replied.  
  
"Don't make me have to stop you from dying like I did with Zander," Damian said softly. "Please, I couldn't keep myself contained if I had to be your doctor."  
  
"I can't make any promises," Sonny sat on one of the couches. "But I don't intend on putting you in a situation where my life would depend on you saving it."  
  
"How is Zander?" Damian asked, not wanting to focus on that particular subject at the moment, not to mention he knew Maxie would want to know when she woke up. Plus, he wanted to gauge his father's honesty as best he could.  
  
"I'm sure he'll be fine," Sonny said.  
  
"He lost a lot of blood, dad."  
  
"I've lost more. Got the scars to prove it."  
  
Damian shuddered a bit, "The mental image is more than enough for me to imagine. Still, thanks for doing that for me."  
  
"You made me see that I owed him a favor," Sonny told his son. "If you had seen Maxie die in front of you, I know it would have broken you. You're a strong person, just like me, but you can't survive seeing someone that you love with all your heart killed before your eyes. You can't be helpless like that. We're more alike than you'd like to admit, you know."  
  
Jason got up, "I'll make a call and find out what Zander's condition is."  
  
"Thanks, Uncle Jason."  
  
Jason looked over for a brief second before he walked away. Damian smiled, it was more amusing than it should have been, but he had unnerved Jason with something so simple as compassion. In a way it was sad, but he knew that Jason was capable of compassion, he loved Courtney with all his heart.  
  
"Uncle Jason now, is it?" Sonny asked.  
  
"He's my uncle by marriage, that's more than enough for me. Besides, he put his life on the line for me just as much as you did, it's the least I could do."  
  
"I can never figure you out, kid," Sonny mused. "One minute you're sick to the stomach by the mere thought of what I do, and then the next minute you're coming back on my plane with me and calling me 'dad.' Not that I don't appreciate it, mind you, I just wish I understood your motives more."  
  
"You're never supposed to understand how your kids think, dad," Damian replied. "It's a rule."  
  
"Is Michael going to give me this much trouble when he's your age?"  
  
"Maybe, we'll just have to wait and see." Damian turned away for a second.  
  
Sonny caught it, "What is it?"  
  
"I was just thinking that when Michael is my age, I'll be about as old as you are now. I don't want to be old."  
  
"I'm not old," Sonny muttered. 


	68. Damage Control

Notes: I missed Brian's death. WHY DO YOU HATE ME SO MUCH!?!?! Why. I should have been there to watch as the life came out of that man!!!! It is law.  
  
Rosa- Yes, Zander may have been Faith's bitch, but no longer! Zander showed that he has a heart and will not betray the people that he cares about for anyone. Hopefully, Joy will finally like how I wrote Zander. Like I said before, it was all planned in the long run. At least that part for Zander was. Everything that happened to Damian showed him that those people are his family, his Nana helped him realize that, but he would have realized it without her. Plus, she told him that he couldn't call Sonny 'Sonny' anymore, and no good Mexican boy would EVER go against the word of the all mighty Nana. Everything in the second chapter was supposed to cool down the uber angst that had riddled the preceding couple, especially the four before. I enjoyed having Damian call Jason 'Uncle Jason,' mostly because I think I did Jason's reaction right. There will still be some cliffhangers down the line, one that will probably be worse than the one with the gunshot going off. Foreshadowing? Me? You bet!  
  
Story-  
  
Port Charles Airport-  
  
They landed without any problems. People in Port Charles knew better than to inspect the plane that was marked with Sonny's specific markings anyway. At least if they wanted to avoid any trouble that one of Port Charles's most prominent citizens could bring if he felt that his rights as a citizen were unfairly stomped upon. Sonny had played the legal game plenty of times, and won most of them. He knew how to get around just about anything that any of the members of the PCPD could throw at him. And if he didn't know how to avoid it right away, he'd find a way eventually.  
  
Maxie walked out of the plane first, Damian close behind her. Damian turned behind him, "I'll stop by later, dad."  
  
Sonny cocked an eyebrow, "I would have thought you would want to see Michael. You know how worried about you he was."  
  
"It can wait for a couple minutes while I walk Maxie home, can't it?" Damian asked. "I promise, once I get finished making sure that she's home fine I will rush straight over to the penthouse and show Michael that I'm okay. Is that fine with you?"  
  
Sonny didn't see any point in arguing with his son. He somehow doubted that even if he had argued Damian would comply with him. They might have had a closer relationship now, but he was still an independent person. Add in the fact that he loved Maxie and was probably still more than a bit afraid that something bad might happen to her again and Sonny was faced with a situation that he couldn't win. At the very least it was a situation that wasn't dire, no lives were at stake. He could handle being without his son for a few minutes, at least he knew that Faith wouldn't be coming after him again anytime soon. "Fine, when you're ready to come back to the house I'll let the guards know you're coming."  
  
Maxie looked at Sonny, "Thank you, Mister Corinthos. Thank you for everything."  
  
"It's Sonny, Maxie," Sonny corrected her. "Please, call me Sonny."  
  
She smiled uneasily, she'd rather not call him anything. She owed him her life, at least partly, but that didn't mean that she was comfortable being around someone that her father often listed as a very dangerous individual who she should avoid at all costs. Old habits died hard for Maxie Jones. Still, she could stomach calling him by his first name, "Okay, Sonny."  
  
Sonny watched as Damian and Maxie walked away, holding hands. It was unlikely that they would let go of one another until they got Maxie home safely. Sonny admitted that there were a few times that he wasn't going to let Carly out of his sight until he knew that she was safe. He was happy to know that his son was in a relationship that was already very strong. But, he was still a father, and he was still Sonny Corinthos. "Jason!" He called out.  
  
Jason got out of the plane and dashed down the stairs, "What is it, Sonny?"  
  
"Follow Damian and Maxie. Make sure that she makes it home fine and that nobody does anything to hurt my son."  
  
Jason gave a slight nod, "On it."  
  
"Thanks." Old habits also died hard for Sonny Corinthos.  
  
Lorenzo's Home-  
  
The phone rang in the home of Port Charles's other crime lord's home. He picked it up, "Yes?"  
  
"We didn't need to use any tactics to prevent Faith Rosco from harming Damian Zuniga, sir."  
  
"Is he unharmed?" Lorenzo asked the voice on the other end. It was one of his West Coast agents. He had known of Faith's power play to use Damian as a pawn in her quest for power and, unknown to Sonny himself, Lorenzo had taken the steps to make sure it never happened.  
  
"Sonny Corinthos managed to stop anything from befalling him or his girlfriend."  
  
"Good," Lorenzo had a smile on his face. "You will of course still be paid for your services. Thank you for the update." Lorenzo hung up the phone. His plan was simple, keep Damian safe until he could destroy the boy or at least use the boy to destroy Sonny. It had been much like Faith's plan, but Lorenzo was much more cautious about his steps. And from the looks of it, Faith had been, at least temporarily, removed from the picture. That caused Lorenzo to smile again. He had grown weary of her ways and was more than a little bit pleased to know that she was gone for now. Of course, there was always the chance that she would make her return, but any time that she wasn't at his side causing trouble would be bliss to him. She tried to play the game and she lost. She should have just left it up to the master. She should have just left it up to Lorenzo. "Your error is my gain, Faith."  
  
Outside the Scorpio Household-  
  
Maxie and Damian walked up to the door. Maxie looked up at the home and almost cried. There was a time in the past twenty-four hours, actually, many times, that she feared she would never see the door to her home ever again. She had so many people to thank for her chance to see it one last time. Zander, Sonny, Jason, Damian. She could never hope to repay them. Damian had told her that Zander had made it to the hospital safely, but she was still worried about him. She didn't want him to die because he finally acted on his heart and saved her. She didn't want to be the cause of his death. It would eat her up inside. That thought caused a tear to fall down her cheek.  
  
Damian had been watching his girlfriend and saw that she was still very shaken, "Do you want me to stay with you a little while longer? If nothing else I can call Michael and let him know that I'm okay. I'm sure my father would understand that I wanted to spend more time with you after everything you've been through."  
  
"It never gets any easier," Maxie muttered.  
  
"What doesn't?" Damian asked.  
  
"Getting over that feeling that you're going to die. Knowing that you thought at some time that you would never see another sunrise, that you were never able to say goodbye to the people that you cared about. I've had a few times in my life where I thought that would happen to me, and now I've got another." Maxie laughed uneasily, "You'd think I would have become an expert at it by now."  
  
"I never want you to feel that again," Damian hugged her tightly. "I never want you to be in danger because of me ever again, Maxie."  
  
"That's a check that you could never cash even if you used all your fathers money," Mac had opened the door as quietly as possible when he heard Maxie's voice from his open window.  
  
"Dad!" Maxie let go of Damian to hug her father.  
  
"Do you have any idea how worried I was about you, Maxie?" Mac asked. "I had the entire police force looking for you! You didn't even call, you know better than that!"  
  
"I'm sorry, dad," Maxie said. "I didn't have a choice. I couldn't call you."  
  
"Why not?" Mac asked. "Was he making sure that you wouldn't talk to me so that I wouldn't find out where the two of you went for the weekend?" Mac looked at Damian, "If you've done anything to hurt my daughter, I swear to you that I will find a way to make you pay."  
  
Damian turned away, "I wish the entire thing didn't happen, sir. But I had nothing to do with it. My life was in as much danger as Maxie's."  
  
"Danger?" Mac's eyes grew wide. "Maxie, tell me what happened."  
  
She told him the whole thing as quickly as she could. Being captured by Zander, being used by Faith as leverage against Damian and finishing with Zander getting shot to protect her. "And then Sonny took us back to Port Charles on his plane."  
  
Mac glared at Damian, "I never want to see you around my daughter ever again. If I do, I will have you arrested!"  
  
"I didn't have anything to do with what happened!" Damian defended himself.  
  
"Like hell you didn't! You were the entire reason that this whole thing happened, Damian! Don't you see? Anytime you're around someone you're putting them at risk in addition to yourself. I will not let that happen to my daughter ever again." Mac pointed his finger out, "Go."  
  
"Dad, don't!" Maxie cried out. "It isn't his fault!"  
  
"Go to your room, Maxie," Mac ordered. "Say your goodbyes now, because I'm not going to stand by and let him hurt you anymore."  
  
Maxie looked at Damian. He sighed, "You really should do what your father wants you to do right now, Maxie."  
  
Maxie understood what Damian was saying. She knew that they would find a way to see each other again. She gave Mac a cold stare as she ran up the stairs into her room and slammed the door as hard as she could.  
  
"I love your daughter, Mac," Damian said.  
  
"If you love her as much as you say, you'll stay away from her. We both want her to be happy, don't we?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"And you can't bring her the kind of happiness she deserves. You're a plague, Damian. You're only going to bring ruin to everyone that you come into contact with. You need to realize that now, while the kill count is still low enough." Mac shut the door and sighed. His daughter was safe, but for how long?  
  
Georgie and Dillon had hid behind a tree, having just returned from a movie that Dillon had to drag Georgie to see, just to get her mind off of Maxie's disappearance for a few hours. Georgie sighed, "Poor Damian. I mean, I'm happy that Maxie's okay, but Mac shouldn't have been so hard on him."  
  
"Damage control?" Dillon asked.  
  
"Someone's got to do it," Georgie agreed.  
  
"I'm glad she's okay, too," Dillon said as he kissed Georgie. "Call you later."  
  
Georgie walked into the house while Dillon chased after Damian.  
  
Georgie knocked on the door, "Maxie, it's me. Please, let me in."  
  
Maxie opened the door immediately and hugged her little sister. "I was so scared."  
  
"I know, I heard everything," Georgie returned the hug. "I even heard Mac yelling at Damian."  
  
"I'm so mad at him right now, Georgie!" Maxie exclaimed.  
  
"Whom?" Georgie asked. "Mac or Damian?"  
  
"Why would I be mad at Damian?" Maxie asked.  
  
"Georgie, as much as I like the guy and I think he's right for you, Mac is right, too. He was the reason that Faith kidnapped you. He was the reason that you almost died."  
  
"He didn't mean for that to happen!"  
  
"But it still did happen, Maxie!" Georgie pointed out. "It doesn't matter that he had nothing to do with it, it still happened because of him."  
  
"So you think I should just stop seeing him, too?" Maxie wondered.  
  
Georgie shook her head, "Of course not. I know how much you love him and how much it would hurt you to be away from him. I'm just saying be careful from now on. We know that his father has a lot of enemies and any one of those people would be plenty happy to use you in the same way that Faith did."  
  
"Mac shouldn't have yelled at him."  
  
"No, he shouldn't have."  
  
Up the block-  
  
"Hey, Damian!" Dillon chased after his friend. "Wait up for a sec."  
  
Damian stopped himself and turned around, looking at Dillon, "Sorry, I've got a lot on my mind."  
  
"Look, don't let Mac get to you," Dillon said. "If I had to count the number of times Mac threatened to arrest me for getting near Georgie I'd still be counting in my grave. He's just full of empty threats."  
  
"For you, maybe," Damian countered. "The Quatermaine's may be a less than stable family, but they're not as high risk as the Corinthos family. Dillon, my bloodline will always put people in danger. Maybe I should just stay away from her."  
  
Dillon shook his head, "You know you don't want that."  
  
"I don't want it!" Damian said. "But I want to keep Maxie safe, and I can't do that if I'm constantly putting her in danger."  
  
"Damian," Dillon let his voice hang.  
  
"Look, I've got to go see my little brothers. Sorry to burden you with my problems. See you another time, okay?"  
  
"Yeah, sure," Dillon watched as Damian left, wondering if he and Maxie would last. He hoped that they would.  
  
88 


	69. The Door

Notes: Hey!!!! They fixed the ellipsis problem... I think. We just tested it out, and, should it work, I can use them again. I love using ellipsis', they're so damned cool.  
  
Story-  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
Sonny wanted Damian to come with him, he wanted to walk in the door with his son in tow, but that was not to be. Sonny accepted that fact, however disappointed in the outcome he truly was. At least he knew that Jason would be following Damian until he got to the penthouse. Jason would keep his son safe. Jason would keep them all safe.  
  
Courtney and Carly heard the doorknob turn. They watched and waited for Sonny to walk in, both looking for the same thing, but each looking for a different reason. The two women had dropped the argument that they had been engaged in earlier, mostly because Michael was aware of the strife that was going on in the home that Sonny and Carly worked to hard to keep as serene as possible. At times it was impossible, but for the most part they were more than capable of such things. When Sonny came in alone they both feared the worst, but it was Courtney who actually needed to make sure that things went the way she thought they were going. "Sonny, you're alone."  
  
"Yeah," Sonny closed the door and took off his jacket.  
  
"Does this mean that-"  
  
Sonny cut his little sister off before she could finish the comment, "No, he's alive. We got lucky and managed to get everyone out alive. If it weren't for Ric telling me about it, though, we might not have had that good fortune." Sonny hung his head low, "I owe Ric."  
  
Carly scoffed, "Sonny, that madman kept me locked up in a small room with our unborn son for months. There is nothing that he could do that would ever clean the slate between the two of you."  
  
"You wouldn't understand, Carly. He's not your son."  
  
"Even if he was, I still wouldn't think I owed Ric anything."  
  
Sonny glanced over at her, "Really, Carly? If Ric was the reason that Michael or Morgan ended up being saved from a murderous woman like Faith Rosco you wouldn't feel even a little bit indebted to him? Maybe you don't love the boys as much as you claim."  
  
"Don't question my love of my children, Sonny!" Carly demanded. "You know that they mean more to me than anything else."  
  
"As long as they're blood, sure," Sonny walked over to the liquor bar and poured himself some water. "But you can't be like me, can you? You can't accept someone who isn't blood the same way that I've accepted Michael as my son."  
  
"I'm sorry that I don't have the bleeding heart that you do, Sonny," Carly said spitefully. "But that doesn't mean that I don't love my children any more than you do."  
  
"I just happen to have one more."  
  
"Don't do this, you two," Courtney interjected. "Michael's upstairs and he is well aware of what's going on. If he hears the two of you arguing he's going to think the worst, and right now I don't think that either of you want to risk traumatizing him any further."  
  
Sonny turned away. Carly looked at Courtney, "You're right."  
  
Courtney partially ignored Carly, she was still less than pleased with Carly's attitude towards Courtney's nephew and her step-son. "Where is he now? Is he hurt?"  
  
"No," Sonny leaned against the fireplace. "Everything is fine, for now. He took Maxie home. Faith had taken her captive just in case she needed to use Maxie in order to get Damian to do what she wanted. Maxie almost died, but Zander took a bullet for her. She's shaken up, and so is Damian. He insisted on seeing her home. I had Jason follow them until he came here, I don't want to worry about any of my boys like that ever again."  
  
Outside PH4-  
  
Damian stood in front of the door, he was about to knock, but something stopped him. Maybe Mac was right. Maybe he was putting himself and the people that he cared about in danger by just staying around Port Charles. If he left, if he went somewhere else, would things be different? He couldn't go back to Los Angeles, they knew to look for him there. Maybe he could go to Mexico, get a new name, start a new life. It seemed like a good idea to him at the time. It seemed like the best idea. If he left, he wouldn't be hurting the people that he loved. He wouldn't put Michael in danger every time that he was around. Of course, Michael was always in danger by simply being Michael Corinthos III, but if they were together, didn't that just make them a bigger target? If he stayed away from this town he wouldn't put Maxie or Georgie or Dillon in any danger either. He could just leave and everything would be fine, wouldn't it? The doubt set in his heart and Damian turned around, but he didn't get too far.  
  
"Where you going?"  
  
"Uncle Jason!" Damian almost bumped into his newly crowned Uncle, who was standing there like an unmovable brick wall.  
  
"Michael wants to see you, so does Courtney."  
  
Damian turned his eyes away, "I know that."  
  
"So then why aren't you going inside?"  
  
"I'm afraid," Damian admitted. "I came this close to being killed earlier today. Do you know what that feels like?" Damian looked up at Jason before he realized how stupid the question was, "Yeah, I guess you do. Probably a whole lot better than I do."  
  
"More than likely," Jason said. "But you're not dead, Damian. You're alive, and you can go and make the people that care about you very happy just by being there."  
  
"Right now maybe," Damian countered. "But what about down the line? What if the longer that I stay around you people, the more danger I put you in?"  
  
"We're used to danger," Jason replied entirely deadpan.  
  
"Yeah, but I'm not like you," Damian stated. "I didn't know anything about this life before I came here, and I don't know if I can find a way to be comfortable with it, let alone being comfortable with the reality that my mere presence here makes me and anyone that I get close to a target."  
  
"You're exactly like Courtney," Jason stated.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Courtney struggles with the fact that she is married into the mob and that her brother is a mob king every day of her life, and yet she finds a way to have that center where she can find a way to co-exist." Jason looked at the door, knowing that Courtney was in there, "Sometimes it's really hard on her, Damian. There are a lot of times where she thinks that she cant' do it, but she realizes how much the people that are inside that penthouse mean to her and how much it would hurt them if she just left. And then she finds a way to live with everything that's been happening around her, because she knows that it's the right thing to do. We don't deserve you or Courtney. We don't deserve to have people around us that keep us grounded to the humanity that we have to throw away at times in order to survive. If it weren't for people like her, I don't know if I'd be alive, and even if I were I don't know if I'd be the same person that I am right now. I don't think I would be. I think I'd be worse than I am right now. There are times when I doubt that I even remember what its like to feel emotions for the people that I know, but then I look at Courtney and I realize how much I love her and it keeps that small part of me that can still feel alive."  
  
"I'm not strong like she is," Damian said. "She's been able to live through so much, including losing your child. I don't know if I could do something like that. I mean, I know I can't do it physically, but emotionally it would probably break me."  
  
"You're stronger than you think," Jason said. "You were able to stare Faith down and not show any fear. How many people could face their own mortality without being even a little scared?"  
  
"I was petrified, Uncle Jason!" Damian shook his head, "If there wasn't so much on the line, I would have broken down right there."  
  
"But you stayed strong to keep the people that you care about safe, didn't you?"  
  
Damian didn't even have to think about the question, he knew the answer, "Yes, I did."  
  
"And you care about some of the people inside that room over there, don't you?" Jason used the word some because he was very aware of the fact that Carly was inside there.  
  
"I do."  
  
"Then you really don't have to worry about hurting them intentionally, Damian. Because you'll never do it, you don't have that capability inside of you."  
  
"Still," Damian let his thought hang, the word alone gave all the implication that was needed.  
  
"You're letting Mac get into your head, Damian."  
  
Damian looked up, "How do you know about Mac?"  
  
Jason sighed, "Sonny asked me to follow you, to make sure that you made it back without any problems."  
  
"You were spying on me?" Damian asked.  
  
"No, I wasn't spying on you, I was keeping you safe. You were just held at gunpoint by one of your father's enemies on the other side of the country than the place that he has his center of operations. Now that we're home, don't you think it's more than little bit understandable that Sonny would want to make sure that you were okay?"  
  
"I wouldn't have minded you coming with us, if he would have asked," Damian said.  
  
"Would Maxie have?" Jason asked. "And if Mac saw me standing next to you, then what? He already thinks lowly of you for being part of this family, having one of us around you as a bodyguard would only prove him right, at least in his mind."  
  
"Should I stay away from her?" Damian asked. "I mean, everyone here has people that can protect them, but Maxie doesn't have guards that are armed to the teeth. She has Mac, but he's gone most of the time." Damian's eyes showed the sadness that festered in his heart, "She almost died, simply because she loves me. If I love her, shouldn't I try to protect her?"  
  
"You should," Jason said. "And you will. But you're only going to be hurting her more by breaking everything off. I know how that goes. I've lost people that I cared about because I pushed them away, it isn't a good feeling, and it isn't one that I'd want to see you go through."  
  
"They'd all be hurt if I just left, wouldn't they?"  
  
Jason nodded, "More than you even imagine."  
  
Damian grabbed the door knob, "I hope I don't live to regret this."  
  
"If you didn't see them you'd live with the regret."  
  
Damian sighed and turned the knob. Jason was right. He couldn't just break free without hurting people and hurting himself. He didn't want to put anyone through that. Anyone. He smiled at Courtney as she turned her eyes over to the door, "Sorry to worry you, Aunt Courtney."  
  
Courtney walked over and hugged him, "Just don't do it again, okay?"  
  
"I don't intend on it," Damian told her.  
  
"Did Maxie make it home okay?" Sonny asked.  
  
Damian looked over at his father. He wasn't entirely sure of the answer, but she did make it home fine. "Just fine, dad."  
  
Although he wasn't watching her, Damian wouldn't have been surprised to see the looks that Carly was giving him when he addressed Courtney and Sonny under their new monikers. She didn't like it at all. But she would remain silent, at least for now.  
  
"Michael!" Sonny hollered up the stairs. "Come down here!"  
  
Michael came down the stairs and looked over, seeing his brother. His face lit up like never before as he rushed over to Damian. Damian got down on his knees and hugged Michael. "I was so scared," Michael said. "The bad man that kidnapped mommy said that you were in trouble."  
  
"Don't worry about it, Michael," Damian said softly. "Just don't worry about it."  
  
93 


	70. Pint Sized Protector

Rosa- My most sincere apologies due to the problems that Fanfiction.net has been given you, it also gives me the very same problems, and I hate them just as much as everyone else. Thanks for the praise on the family orientation. I'm actually really pleased with the way that it turned out as well. It was always meant to have that as the heart of the story. Don't worry about Damian and Maxie just yet. After all, the best couples in Port Charles have always had a little strife, right?  
  
Joy- As evident above, this website is a true double edged sword. Many things about it are good, but many more are bad. I am sorry that you are having problems with it, but I thank you for continuing to read even with those problems. I told you I'd do something with Zander that would make you happy! And I'm very pleased that you were surprised. Since I have a lot of these moments in my head all plotted out, sometimes weeks in advance, I always feel that I might be giving away too much and not have it be surprising. Glad to know that I did my job as a writer right. It took Damian some 60 something chapters to call Sonny 'dad,' but I wanted it to be something that actually held merit. Glad I did my job. Actually, Ana- Maria wasn't the only daughter, she was the baby and she was very important to both her parents. But, as Victoria said, Sonny gave them all something that they could remember their daughter through. Yes, Uncle Jason. Is it too much? I don't think it is. I'm glad you liked it, though. I really needed a break from the drama to add in some lighthearted comedy. With Faith gone, Carly appears to have become prime enemy number one, hasn't she? But, like always, Carly will change her ways. Eventually. When stuff happens. Big Stuff. Big, Big Stuff. Ah, foreshadowing, how I love thee. The talk between the newly forged nephew/uncle was a lot of fun to write. Up until then Jason hadn't really had a moment where he was around Damian and not either A) Inspecting his motives or B) Trying to keep him alive. They should have more moments like that before the end of the story. If nothing else, I got one in!  
  
Story-  
  
Although Michael was beyond relieved to know that his big brother was safe, he knew something was wrong. The adults, even Damian, talked around him instead of just coming out and saying whatever was on their minds. Michael, as he had told his Aunt Courtney earlier that day, was not nearly as unaware of what was going along as they wanted to make him appear to be. He didn't understand what his daddy and his Uncle Jason were involved with, but he understood that it was something that could be really scary. They all put on happy faces around him, even Carly, just to make him feel more comfortable with everything. But knowing that they were doing it and not exactly feeling it made Michael even more nervous about the situation.  
  
Damian had only been at the house for a few hours, but he seemed much more at ease than he had ever been before. He got up from the couch and ran his hand through Michael's hair, "You know, I really should get going."  
  
Michael shook his head, "Don't go!"  
  
Damian sighed, "Michael, I have to go home."  
  
"I'm afraid that someone will take you again!" Michael stated, the panic already in his voice. "I don't want to feel like that."  
  
"Nothing bad will happen to me, Michael, I promise," Damian tried to be as comforting as possible, but he felt bad that he was causing Michael to act out like he was.  
  
"You can't make promises like that!" Michael said. "You don't know that everything will be okay, no one does!"  
  
The adults all exchanged glances, taken surprise by Michael's sudden outburst of doubt in the ability that his family had to protect him and the other members of that family. "How about we make a deal?"  
  
"What kind of deal?" Michael wondered.  
  
"Well, if your parents say its okay, I'll stay here for the night, just so you know that I'll be safe. Would that make you feel any better?"  
  
Michael nodded, "It would." He turned to his parents, "Mommy, daddy, can he stay for tonight? Please?"  
  
"If he wants to stay, he knows where his room is," Sonny said. "Carly?"  
  
Carly, not at all pleased with the position that she had been placed in, succumbed quickly. Courtney was right, the last thing Michael needed now was anything to upset him. If allowing Damian to stay around again would keep Michael happy, she couldn't decline. "Yeah, sure."  
  
Damian gazed over at her. It was too easy. "You sure?"  
  
She glared at him, "I said it was okay, didn't it? If it keeps my son happy, I really don't mind."  
  
Damian saw Michael's face begin to beam. He got off his knees and headed towards the door, "I'll be back."  
  
"Where are you going?" Michael asked.  
  
"I have to get clothes, Michael," Damian informed his little brother. "Unless I absolutely have to, I generally don't like sleeping in jeans and a t-shirt."  
  
"But the bad people could still get you!" Michael cried out.  
  
Damian stopped himself, this was getting much more complicated than he wanted. "Michael, nothing will happen to me. You've been to Kelly's hundreds of times, you know it's really not that far from the penthouse. I understand that you're worried about me, and I appreciate it, but I can't live my life in a box just to keep myself safe."  
  
"I could keep you safe!" Michael declared as he ran up and grabbed his jacket.  
  
"What?" Damian asked.  
  
"Nothing bad ever happens to me! I can keep you safe, like a good luck charm!"  
  
"Michael, it's getting kind of late. You really shouldn't be walking around this late," Damian said.  
  
"If I can't, then why can you?" Michael asked.  
  
"I'm not going to win this debate, am I?" Damian wondered, his head tilted back and looking at Sonny.  
  
Sonny grinned, "When Michael wants something really bad, he knows how to get it. He wants to keep you safe, and he thinks he can. The easiest thing for you to do would be to take him to Kelly's with you and then bring him back."  
  
"I give up. Come on, Michael." Damian held the door open. "We'll be back in a little bit."  
  
When the door closed, Carly looked at Sonny, "Are you sure that's wise?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Sending our son out in the open without anyone to keep him safe."  
  
"He's got Damian."  
  
Carly snickered, "Because Damian's such a good protector. He couldn't even keep himself from being used in Faith's game."  
  
"Jason," Sonny called out. "If you could."  
  
"I'll watch over them again," Jason said.  
  
Sonny nodded, "Just give them a couple minutes before you head after them. Michael will feel better about himself if he doesn't know that you're helping him keep his brother safe." He turned to Carly, "Better?"  
  
"Much," Carly quickly replied.  
  
"You're absolutely sure that he can stay?" Sonny asked. "I told you before that I won't try and force my son on you."  
  
"He does that on his own," Carly retorted, somewhat bitterly. "But I meant what I said, Sonny. He makes Michael happy, really happy. I'm not going to deny my child happiness because I don't like the guy that much. Besides, it's only one night."  
  
"Maybe it would become more," Sonny said softly.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"Michael's right, Carly. Damian's going to be in danger from now on. He might not realize it, but I do. People are going to realize that they can attempt to use my son against me like Faith did, and they're going to go after him. The only way that I know to keep him safe is to get him back under this roof."  
  
"You can't just post some guards around his apartment?" Carly asked.  
  
"Would your mother like having armed guards walking around Kelly's all the time?" Sonny asked. "I don't think she would. Besides, there are too many other factors that come from the other people that are renting apartments up there. They could get a judge to kick him out because he's endangering their safety simply by being there."  
  
"There's nothing else that you can think of?" Carly asked.  
  
"Outside of killing all my enemies, which would never happen because I'd always get new ones, I don't have any other ideas."  
  
"I need some time to think about this," Carly admitted.  
  
"I understand," Sonny replied. "And I want to thank you for at least giving it some thought. Before you'd just say no based on principal alone."  
  
"Carly," Courtney called out to her best friend. "Sonny's right, this is the only option that he has for keeping everyone safe."  
  
"I'm going to go feed Morgan," Carly announced as she walked up the stairs.  
  
Sonny looked into the fire, "That could have gone better."  
  
Courtney took a few steps up and grabbed his shoulder lightly, "But it could have gone much worse, too."  
  
Kelly's-  
  
Although Elizabeth had since long ended her shift at the restaurant, she hadn't yet left. She was going to stay for as long as she needed, waiting to see if he would come through those doors like he had plenty of times since she met him. She hated that she was right. She hated that Damian's life was at risk because of the fact that he was Sonny's son. She wouldn't apologize for telling him the truth about his father, about that family, but she just wanted to make sure that he was all right. She looked into her tea, she had lost count of what cup she was on. She looked into the tea and watched her reflection swirl around in the drink.  
  
"Elizabeth?"  
  
She looked up and saw Ric standing there above her. He had snapped her out of her daze, but she hadn't registered that it was his voice. She wanted to believe that it was Damian's. "Ric," She said softly.  
  
"I know you're not still on duty here," Ric said lightly as he took a seat. "Even you know better than to work yourself that hard."  
  
"You're right," Elizabeth said sadly. "I've been here, just waiting for hours. I'm still worried about him."  
  
"Elizabeth, my brother might be a horrible person to a whole lot of people, but if there is one thing about Sonny Corinthos that I've learned since I came back into his life it's that he's not going to let anyone hurt any of his children. Believe me, Sonny was tormented as a boy, he'd never let anyone do the same to his kids as long as there was some breath in his body." Ric turned away, "He's always going to be strange like that. One minute the ruthless killer, the next the angelic father figure. It's what makes him so dangerous."  
  
"Do you regret telling him?" Elizabeth asked. "I know how much you two still don't like each other. Even though you're not out to destroy him anymore, I know that I can't just expect that hate to go away."  
  
Ric shook his head, "Like I said then, you care about Damian and I care about you. It would hurt you to know that he was killed, and I want to protect you from ever being hurt by anyone, even myself."  
  
Elizabeth heard the door open and looked up. His face was there as he held the door open for Michael. She smiled, "Damian!"  
  
He turned to see Elizabeth, but all he saw was her hair as she hugged him. "You know, if I knew that I'd get this kind of reaction, I'd do it more often."  
  
Elizabeth pulled away, "You'd better be joking about that."  
  
"I am," Damian replied. "I never want to go through that again."  
  
Ric got up, "I'm glad that you're safe."  
  
Michael looked over, "Stay away from my brother, bad man!" While Michael was incapable of calling Ric worse, he had enough hatred for that man to last him and several other people a lifetime.  
  
Ric was mortified. He loathed himself for putting Michael through such pain, and was sad that he couldn't be forgiven, but he understood the way Michael's mind worked.  
  
Damian reached into his pocket and pulled out his key, "Michael, go to the room with this number on it and open the door for me, I need to talk with them for a couple minutes, okay?"  
  
"But-"  
  
"Michael," Damian cut in. "Nothing's going to happen. Look at all of these people. No one would try anything with all these people around. I'll be fine."  
  
Michael looked at Ric, "If you hurt him, I'll tell my daddy." With that threat, which held much more than Michael understood, the boy turned away and walked up the stairs.  
  
"So young, yet filled with so much hate for you," Damian remarked, sadly. "He shouldn't feel anything like that. Ever."  
  
"He has reason, sadly," Ric remarked.  
  
"I know he does," Damian said. "I'm well aware of the hell that you put Carly through. But, thank you, Uncle Ric. I know you were the one that told my dad about Faith's plan to use me against him. You need to realize that you not only saved me, but you saved my grandparents and Maxie as well. I might not agree with the things that you've done in the past, even though I wasn't even here to see them happen, but I owe you for helping me and the people that I care for."  
  
"You're welcome," Ric said after a long second pause. "Did you just call me 'Uncle' Ric?"  
  
"The way you people act it's like you've never heard anyone call people those names before. You're my father's brother. That makes you family. Family doesn't always have to get alone, and I really doubt that you and dad ever will, but it doesn't change the blood that runs through our veins. Now, if you'll both excuse me." Damian walked away and up the stairs.  
  
"Did you hear him call me that?" Ric asked Elizabeth.  
  
"I did. How does it feel?"  
  
"Good, actually. It feels really good."  
  
98 


	71. Uniqueness

No New Reviews  
  
Story-  
  
Upstairs, Kelly's-  
  
The door to his room was wide open, and he was thankful it was. Michael had seen Ric, Damian wasn't sure how often that happened, but it appeared to him that every time it did the boy went through some sort of trauma. It wasn't hard to understand why. Michael was young, he was very impressionable, and he knew that Ric had hurt his mother. If the door had been closed, Damian might have had to spend hours trying to coax him into opening the door again. Michael was sitting on the bed, staring at his lap. "I'm sorry you had to see him, Michael."  
  
"I don't like him," Michael muttered.  
  
"I know that, and there's no reason why you should. He hurt you a lot, but I do think he feels really bad about putting you through what he did."  
  
"Daddy said the bad man never felt anything," Michael replied. "He said that the bad man has no heart, no soul, and that the world could end around him and he'd smile."  
  
Damian sat next to Michael, "Dad likes to carry grudges, Michael. But just because he feels something doesn't mean you have to feel it too."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"You're your own person, Michael. Despite being Michael Corinthos III, you are who you are and no one can decide who you are but yourself. You like video games, don't you?"  
  
Michael nodded, "I like playing my game boy."  
  
"Does dad like video games?"  
  
"No, he thinks they make too much noise and that they're a waste of my time."  
  
"See?" Damian asked. "You like video games and dad doesn't. You like them because that's who you are, it's what makes you unique."  
  
"What's 'unique?'" Michael wondered.  
  
"It's being your own person, doing things that you want to do not because other people are, but because it's what you want to do."  
  
"Are you unique?" Michael asked.  
  
Damian smiled as he got up and looked out the window, "I'd like to think that I am." As he gazed out the window he saw Jason standing there. Damian smiled, "Way to be discrete." But he knew that Jason wasn't trying to hide, and he had a feeling when they left the penthouse that he would find Jason following them. Besides, Damian was looking for him, and Michael wouldn't be. It was more important that Michael think that he was protecting his big brother for a confidence boost, even if they both had Uncle Jason watching over them.  
  
"Why are you unique? Do you like video games, too?"  
  
Damian laughed softly, "No, I can't stand them." Damian had to think about the question, which wasn't intended when he made the statement to Michael. He should have known to expect something like this from a small child Michael's age. They were always asking questions. Of course, when Damian was Michael's age he was guilty of the same thing, so he could hardly put his little brother at fault. "I guess my love for the piano made me unique when I was much younger, but now I think it's my drive to keep people from suffering in the same way that I did when my mom died. A lot of people would just give up on everything if they were faced with the same situation, but I couldn't do that. She would want me to do something with my life that would help people, I know that. I won't give up on her. I won't fail."  
  
"You don't think that the bad man meant to hurt my mommy?" Michael asked, focusing on the original discussion.  
  
"I think he did when he did it, Michael," Damian said as he grabbed some clothes from the dresser. "But people do a lot of things that they end up regretting later. We're not perfect, and that's what makes us human. We have the ability to make mistakes and then atone for them somehow. I can't make your mind up for you, though. If you still feel that hatred in your heart for him, then I won't stop you from feeling it. Just remember that you don't have to feel like that simply because dad does."  
  
"He's not the only one," Michael said. "Mommy, Aunt Courtney, Uncle Jason, they all hate him. They can't all be wrong, can they?"  
  
"They can have their own opinions on the man, but they can't force you into believing that they're right if you don't think that they are."  
  
"Do you think they are?"  
  
Damian put the clothes in a small bag, "I think that they're holding onto the past too much, and that they have good reason to do it. What Uncle Ric did to Carly was horrible, we all know it, but so does he. Maybe I'm choosing to blind myself to his ways because he's partly responsible for me still being alive, but I don't think that's the only reason. I know that he feels bad for what he did. I can see it when anyone mentions what he did. But at least he feels something, and it isn't pride. He doesn't gloat about what he did."  
  
"I'm confused," Michael admitted.  
  
Damian zipped the bag up and put it over his shoulder, "So am I. Don't worry, Michael. Us adults get just as confused as you do sometimes. Just because we're older than you doesn't mean that we know everything. Come on, let's go back to the penthouse."  
  
When they walked down the stairs, Ric was still there. They walked past him silently, Michael gazed at Ric, but instead of leering at him with hate in his eyes, there was something else. Michael wasn't sure how to feel, not anymore. He could never forgive Ric for doing something that bad to his mommy, but did Ric feel bad for it, too? Damian seemed to think so, even though the others didn't.  
  
Scorpio Household-  
  
There was a knock at Maxie's door. "Go away!" She knew it wasn't Georgie by the knock. Georgie had her own unique way of knocking on the door in the instances where Maxie was mad at Mac and not her, so that Maxie would know that it was Georgie and she would open the door. Since it wasn't Georgie, though, she wanted no part of Mac, not at that moment.  
  
Mac, however, was not going to stand by and let his oldest daughter continue to despise him for what he saw as doing nothing more than securing her safety. He wanted Maxie to let him in, rather than use force to open the door, although he was plenty ready to do the latter in case it actually came to that. "Maxie, please let me in so we can talk."  
  
"I have nothing to say to you!" Maxie screamed from her bed. "You just don't understand anything!"  
  
"I understand that you were kidnapped, and held at gunpoint by a known criminal because of your involvement with Damian, Maxie," Mac tried to sound calm, although his temper was flaring. Not at Maxie, of course, she was an innocent in this. No, Mac's anger was instead focused on the Corinthos family. Sonny and his son had placed his daughter in danger, even though they didn't mean to. Their intentions didn't matter, not to him. They should have known that they couldn't go around being with people. They were too dangerous. When they were putting themselves at risk it was fine. Mac could care less if he had to zip up the body bad of Sonny Corinthos, it would mean that a big part of Port Charles's crime problems would be erased from the city at last. But if he had to zip up the body bag of one of his daughters, caught in the crossfire that she had no part in, he didn't want to have to deal with that. Ever. "Could you please open the door so I can talk with you?"  
  
"No!" Maxie shot back.  
  
"Maxie, I'm going to come into that room one way or another. You can let me in, or you can pay for a new door when I break it down. Whatever you choose is fine with me."  
  
Maxie got up and opened the door, looking straight at Mac, her eyes bloodshot with the tears that were still running down her cheeks. "Why can't you just leave me alone?"  
  
"Because I love you too much to leave you alone when I know that you were almost killed within the last twenty-four hours!" Mac said. "Don't you realize how scared I was when you didn't come home last night? When no one knew where you were and you weren't answering you cell phone? Maxie, for all we knew you could have been dead. I was close to calling your mother."  
  
"She wouldn't care," Maxie mumbled.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Mom," Maxie reiterated. "She wouldn't care if I was missing. She never cares."  
  
Mac shook his head, "Your mother loves you more than you'll ever know, Maxie. She just has a very unique way of showing it."  
  
"By being halfway across the country," Maxie scoffed. "She's really good at showing how much she cares, dad."  
  
"Is that what this is about?" Mac asked. "Are you acting this way because you want your mother to finally notice you?"  
  
Maxie sat on her bed again, "I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
"You go and engage in a relationship with, first, an abusive drug-addict, and then with the son of an established crime lord. Are you just trying to find a way to get your mother to come back home?"  
  
Maxie glared at him, "I never want that woman to come back into my life! I want her to stay away so that I don't have to worry about caring about her again only to have her leave on some stupid little quest of hers without thinking about any of our feelings. When we were little it was okay, but we're a lot older now. When mom says that she'll be back before we know it now, we know that she's lying. I'm through having my heart stomped on by anyone, my mother or my boyfriends, it doesn't matter anymore! Kyle was a mistake, dad, a big mistake that I will never be able to purge from my mind. He told me lies that I believed, made me think that I was special to him in a way that was more than just so he could get me into bed with him. When I found out that I was nothing more than what I was for him, it crushed me. I thought I was in love, and then I realized that I didn't know the first thing about love."  
  
"You're too young to know what love is," Mac said.  
  
She shook her head, "No, I'm not. I know that I love Damian and he loves me."  
  
"What makes you think that he loves you, Maxie?" Mac asked. "I'm not entirely sure that people like that are capable of knowing what love is."  
  
Maxie wanted to scream at Mac and tell him that he was wrong. She also wanted to slap him for thinking that Damian was anything like Sonny, because they weren't. They shared blood, but very little more. Instead, she managed to keep her composure, "Why can't you ever give anyone a chance? You didn't like it when Georgie started dating Dillon, and you still haven't accepted that they're together. How long has it been, dad? It's been over a year, and you're still fighting it. You didn't think Dillon loved Georgie, but you know he does. You think that just because he's a Quatermaine that he's going to end up corrupting your daughter like his mother or his cousins, or his grandfather, but you know he isn't. You may have been right about Kyle, but you're not right about Damian. He's lost so much and he could have easily gone into the life that his family has, but he hasn't yet, and I don't think he ever will. I know that I can see it, and I know that anyone else who actually takes the time to get to know him can see that he won't be anything like Sonny. But you're never going to be like that, are you, dad? You're going to choose to remain blind for your whole life, because it makes you feel better about yourself. He would have died to protect me, do you know that? Faith threatened to take him out if he didn't comply and she tried to use me. Damian wasn't worried about his own life, he was worried about mine and his grandparent's. You say that he can't feel love for anyone, but what would you call what he did earlier today? Even though you weren't there to see it, and you might as well deny that it happened for your entire life, I know what did happen. And I know that no matter what you do to try and keep me away from him, it won't work. I want you to be supportive of my relationships, dad, but if you can't be then I'm sorry, but I won't live my life by your decrees."  
  
Mac, stunned by his daughter's outburst, turned around without saying a word and left the room. She wouldn't stop seeing him, he truly believed that. But how was he going to make sure that they never saw each other again? 


	72. The Offer

Shamira- Yay! You reviewed again!!! So happy! And you reviewed many chapters! More happy! Anyway, as to why I reviewed your story, it was because you wrote a story that I COULD review. I never saw 'Save the Last Dance' nor was I watching during the whole Elizabeth loses her baby thing, so that really meant that I couldn't give your story the attention that it deserved. But, I've watched the fire, so I know what's going on there. Hence, the review. Jax still needs to die, he does. You know, you are one very lucky girl. Actually, you do know. You take home schooling. I'm so very jealous. I had to suffer through four years of horrid high school while you didn't. Curses. I'm glad you enjoyed my portrayal of the Jones girls and Mac with their rather unique dynamic. I liked putting that Frisco comment in there, too. Always fun doing ancient throwbacks, it is. Even ones that I don't know much about. You know, I never really thought about what Mac would think when Georgie compared Damian to Dillon. Maybe I should have had him say something like what you wanted Mac to say, it would make sense. But, at the very least, I wanted Mac to appear that he was accepting of Dillon being around. Since, at least for my story, they've been together for like two years it would make sense for Mac to just get over it. I'm not entirely sure that means he thinks that Dillon's a good guy, though.  
  
I didn't think the love thing was sudden. I mean, I think the fact that they both admitted it to one another and themselves was kind of, but it was something that was growing since the start. I am sorry that your relationship with this deli man did not work out to your liking. Worry not, if it is meant to be it will happen. If nothing else, you know he can make food. I feel for Bobbie so much. This entire time during the fire she's nowhere to be found and then she comes on the last day of the week. Ah well, at least she'll be around next week, presumably. Ned was only there for two days, but Ned's stupid so I couldn't care less. I wanted him dead, too. They never kill the people I want them to kill. Don't worry, I don't really know how to spell Daximillian either, I think that's right. But it might not be. Stupid complex spelling. They made kissy face, and people were happy. Also, I'm plenty cynical myself. One of the reasons that I watch GH is because I can tell myself that at least my problems aren't as bad as the ones on the show. It makes me feel better about myself it does.  
  
Umm... oops. I didn't mean to worry you about the teeth thing. But, really, I've heard it's not all that much fun. Better to be honest than lie, right? I like to think it is. Much like yourself, I want Sonny and Carly to stay together and be happy. Ultimately, though, I'm well aware that the two will always find something that will put them at odds from time to time. It's part of their relationship, its part of the reason why they're so popular with the fans. That doesn't mean that they can't make up, as evident here. Sometimes it's very hard to remember that they both care about that boy so much and they only want him to be happy. Eventually they realize what it does to him and they try and fix everything. That's what they did during that chapter.  
  
Ah, the Alky rambling, how I have missed thee. Although I'm sure you're using part of the fire store in your synopsis of character, I can assure you that nothing like that will happen. Michael and Morgan will remain with Sonny and Carly... I think. I really do think that he cares about those kids though, at least continuity Alky. I think he cares about them only because they are Carly's, but it is care nonetheless. Courtney could so take Alky. He's a pansy ass and she's a kung-fu master. She remained contained, though, even though we all know she really wanted to hurt him. Who says she has no self control? No one? Oh, well, fine. That whole Dillon/Mac deal thing so came off the top of my head, but I thought it would be damned cool to write. I do enjoy Dillon/Mac scenes because most of the time Dillon just takes the abuse, like he's afraid of Mac or something. Plus, it showed Mac that Dillon cared about both his daughters, not just Georgie. Perhaps, eventually, Mac will become less bitter about everything. Yes, I doubt this thing would happen as well, but it is entirely possible.  
  
Luke and Skye make me smile, too. So do Justus and Faith. Actually, it's mostly just Faith, because we all know that woman is Godly. Still, the joking, the holding, it was supposed to show S and C united once more after many chapters of being apart. This is but the first step in Carly's character change. Like always, there will be a time when she just stops being so selfish. What will happen that will make her change? Well, you'll just have to wait and see. I liked the chapter title, sorry it didn't make sense till towards the end. But at least it made sense, right? That's the main thing that I was going for. Everyone can celebrate because Michael is all better, hurrah!  
  
I have to have everyone happy chapters from time to time because, honestly, the rest of the time it's so very drab in Port Charles. You're right, it won't last, but at least they get a break from the angst every now and then. You're also dead on about Maxie, she's grown so much since the story started. She's found herself, and she had help from someone, which would be you know who. Michael's cuter than just about anyone on the face of the planet. Damn, I hate it how I can never stop gushing over Michael when he's on screen. If, when Morgan gets old enough to actually talk, they get someone like Dylan Cash, I'm going to be in heaven. Michael views all kissing as gross at his age, not just his parents. I don't think it's all that bad. At least KISSING... I try not to think about the other things. Ack, my mind!  
  
Zander got shot 'off camera,' it was really just a ploy on my part to get Faith into the hospital at that point in the story. Besides, it gave me a reason to write the Zander/Faith scenes that we both find so amusing. Even in the face of death, that woman is just bloody hilarious. Should Damian's leaving for the weekend worry you? Should it? Keep on reading to find out.  
  
Everyone loves how I do Elizabeth, like portraying her that way is some lost art form. I'm glad that they like it when I have her, though. I don't put her in as often as I do the other characters, but when she does come into the story she's supposed to at least have some sort of impact. I like how she's right about everything as well, and how she wants to protect this guy that she barely knows because she cares about him so much. I think Damian would make it longer than she did, but I can't say for sure. I've always liked Sage, from the minute she came on screen I thought she was funny. I mean, I hate how she dares to screw with the holiness of GQ, but I still can't bring myself to loathe her as much of the GH community does. Bubbly Georgie is a break from character, because she's always trying to act like the most mature thing on the planet. But it's very easy to remember that she's just a teenage girl, and no matter how smart she is, she's going to act like one from time to time. Poor Damian, though. All he wanted was some sleep...  
  
I loved my ramble, too. Thank you for your praise, it makes me feel better about myself. I always feared that Damian would be little more than a 'Mary Sue' character. I've had to explain what that is to a friend who doesn't quite understand the fanfiction terminology like we do. I couldn't make him a perfect character because all my characters have to have these massive flaws that shape them as characters. Damian's got more than a couple, some that haven't even been shown yet. You got to insult Alky again, aren't you happy? I do love it when you make me smile with your hatred for the man. So amusing it be. The little things are what make Journey so very great. Although, I will admit, when Monica was telling Capelli, 'You left MY son to die in that fire!' I was so happy. Monica thinks Jason's her son. So cute. Michael's a bright boy, he understands things that children his age should not understand, it makes him so great. Everyone is happy... for now.  
  
With THAT taken care of (Sorry for those that were waiting for the story, but I do like to give feedback to my feedback, it is only right) let's get on with it!  
  
Story-  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
While some people may have thought that Michael had an endless amount of energy that he could use at any time of the day, the reality of the situation was that eventually he would tire out. It took him a few hours after he and Damian had returned to the penthouse, but he finally just could no longer sustain himself and fell asleep. Damian stood around the room as Michael slumbered, taking examination of his life. That one boy had done so much for him in the short time that they had known one another. He had given Damian the feeling that he needed to protect someone from the harsh reality of the world and was the first member of the Corinthos family that he even considered to be a part of his family. It was hard to deny Michael anything. He had a look about him that would make just about anyone try their hardest to give him the world if that's what they thought he wanted. But was that the only reason he was here? Because Michael asked him? Damian was afraid, as much as he hated to admit it. He could have died earlier that day. More importantly, the people that he loved could have died because of him. Sonny, his father, was able to save them all from rather certain doom, but it would never end. No matter what happened there would always be someone that tried to get to Sonny by using his family. Faith had only been the first, and Damian knew she wouldn't be the last. Would he be the biggest target? Since he wasn't housed in the fortress that Sonny had set up to protect his family from harm at all times, it was highly probable. Was it even safe to walk down the streets of Port Charles in broad daylight anymore? Would he have to throw away his pacifistic ideals in order to safeguard himself and the people that he cared about? He wasn't too sure of the answer, but he wouldn't lie, he was leaning more towards the idea that he would have to change something about himself in order to function in Port Charles. What he would have to change and how were mysteries to him. Ones that he would rather not deal with so soon after a near death situation. With one final look at his little brother, who was sleeping peacefully, Damian walked out of the room, closing the door as gently as possible.  
  
"I'd like to talk with you."  
  
Damian almost jumped out of his skin as he heard the voice call out to him. When he looked up he saw Carly there. "This isn't going to be something that involves us screaming at each other again, is it? I'd really like to get some rest before I went another round with you, Carly."  
  
"Come downstairs, I don't want to wake either of my children."  
  
"So this is going to escalate into something that can wake them up. Just my luck."  
  
Carly glared at him for a moment, "You know, this would go a lot easier if you would just listen to me when I asked you to do something."  
  
"You asked me to get away from all these people in Port Charles, Carly. Forgive me if I'm not ready to comply with every order that you give me."  
  
"I'm going downstairs, which is where the room that you're sleeping in for the night is. Unless you intend on sleeping in the hallway, you're going to have to come down sometime. I can wait as long as it takes, Damian."  
  
The boy sighed as he followed Carly down the stairs. If this wasn't something that he could avoid he'd much rather get it over with as soon as possible. Carly stood in the center of the room and looked at him. Her eyes still had that piercing look that made him want to hide, but he stayed. He stayed for Michael. He stayed for Sonny. Most important, he stayed for himself. He wouldn't let anyone bully him around, least of all the step- mother from hell. "What are you going to do, Carly? Try to pay me off? Provide me with more money than I could ever dream, even to the point that I'd never even have to finish school in order to make a living. Are you going to threaten me again?"  
  
"I want to thank you," Carly muttered.  
  
Damian stopped dead in his tracks, "Excuse me?"  
  
"I know how much you try and avoid staying around here, and I'm sure that I'm a big part of the reason. But you still stayed here because you knew that it would make Michael feel better. As much as I hate to admit it, he cares about you a lot, and I can see that you care about him just as much."  
  
"I always wondered what it would be like to have a little brother," Damian admitted.  
  
"I'm not finished yet."  
  
"Knew there was a catch," Damian admitted.  
  
"He worries about you now, Damian. He was in this room when Ric stormed in and told Sonny that you were in trouble. He knew that something was wrong, and I didn't want to tell him anything. You put him through hell."  
  
"I didn't mean to," Damian remarked sadly. "I had no control over what happened, Carly. If I did, you can be sure that I would have done plenty of things differently."  
  
"He's going to continue to worry about you as long as he doesn't know that you're safe, you do realize that, don't you?"  
  
Damian nodded his head, "I can't do anything about that, Carly."  
  
"No, but maybe I can."  
  
"I don't want to put anyone else in danger," Damian said. "And, amazingly enough, that list includes you."  
  
"I'll pretend to be overjoyed about being in your favor later. Sonny wants you to live with us again. He thinks that it's the only way to keep you and everyone else in this family safe from the people that would try and use us to hurt him."  
  
"His answer for everything is either to shut it out or shoot it up, isn't it?" Damian asked.  
  
"He gets results, Damian. Sonny knows how to get what he wants, and he doesn't care how it happens just as long as it gets done. Sometimes it can hurt the people that he cares about without him thinking about it." She thought back to the time that he put that bullet in her brain. He saw it as protecting Carly from Lorenzo, but he didn't take into account the fact that Lorenzo was only helping her bring his son into the world. She understood why he acted the way that he did, even if she didn't support it. That happened a lot in their marriage. It was happening at that moment, even though she was the one making the offer. "As much as I hate to admit it, the only way that any of us can be at ease is if you're under this roof, under your father's protection."  
  
"Why are you doing this, Carly?" Damian wondered. "Of all the people here, you'd be the last one that I would figure to extend the hand that you're extending to me."  
  
"Like I said, Michael worries about you now more than ever. And when I saw my son looking the way he looked when he thought that you might be hurt or worse I knew that I couldn't put him through something like that again. Whatever people may think about me, I will always do what I can to protect my children from being harmed. I might not always do it, or go about it the right way, but I like to think that my intentions are pure."  
  
"You love your children, Carly. Anyone with eyes can see that. My opinion of you as a person may never be as high as I'd like it to be, and the same could be said for your opinion of me, but I would never question your devotion to your children."  
  
"Are you telling me that you'll come live with us again?" Carly asked, hopeful.  
  
Damian headed towards the guest room, "I don't know, Carly. I don't want to hurt Michael, either, but I don't know if I can live here again. I've accepted what my dad does with his life, but I don't know if I'm ready to be fully embroiled in it. It does help that I know you're actually supporting the possibility this time, though."  
  
"This doesn't change how I feel about you, regardless of my offer or what you decide. I hope you know that."  
  
"Even if I tried to forget that you think I'm just here to ruin your life, Carly, I don't think you'd ever actually let me forget."  
  
"I'm glad we had this time to chat."  
  
"So am I, actually. Good night." Damian closed the door. Their altercation had been almost civil. It certainly wasn't as bad as it could have been. That really only left one question. What was he going to decide on? 


	73. Conflict of Interests

No New Reviews-  
  
Story-  
  
Corinthos Household, the next morning-  
  
Despite the drabness that was often associated with Sonny's homemade impregnable fortress, the sunlight still managed to find its way into the room that Damian had slept in for the night. For a very brief period of time it was his room. Would it serve that same function again? Damian still didn't have a concrete answer to that question. He stretched and ran a hand through his hair, which was cursed with the infernal thing known as bed hair. Rummaging through the clothes that he had brought over from his apartment, Damian grabbed what he intended on wearing and made his way towards the bathroom. Perhaps a relaxing shower would ease his tension. It was unlikely, but anything was worth a shot.  
  
Meanwhile, completely unbeknownst to Damian, Michael had decided to take it upon himself to ask his father some questions. The boy walked down the stairs, still in his pajamas, which was not unusual since getting Michael to take a bath was among the most impossible things in the world. Sonny wasn't going to attempt the fight that it would take to get him into the bath. He was already up and dressed in his suit, as usual. Michael had never noticed that it was a very rare thing when he saw his father in anything but the usual attire. As if Sonny had somehow been preset to automatically be clothed in a suit the moment he woke up. Sonny's wardrobe wasn't important. "Daddy?"  
  
Sonny turned and smiled at his son, "Hey, Mike. Did you sleep well?"  
  
Michael nodded, "I was afraid that I was going to have nightmares about bad stuff happening to Damian, but I didn't."  
  
"I told you that I'd keep him safe, didn't I?"  
  
Michael nodded once more, "You promised."  
  
Sonny got on his knees, "I always try and keep the promises I make to you, Mike. You know why? Because a man is nothing without his word. It doesn't matter what happens, once your word is broken, you're nothing."  
  
"Is the bad man that kidnapped mommy a man with a broken word?" Michael asked.  
  
"He said that he was someone that your mommy could trust and he betrayed her. So, yes, he is."  
  
"Damian said that he feels bad for what he did to mommy."  
  
Sonny rolled his eyes. Ric was capable of many things. Remorse didn't appear to be anywhere on that list, at least to him. "Why would Damian tell you that?"  
  
"Because he saw how much I didn't like the bad man, and he said that I should look at him through my own eyes. He said that if I didn't feel like hating him anymore I shouldn't. But I do still hate him, daddy. He took mommy away from me for a long time and no one wanted to believe me when I said that he was the one that took her."  
  
"That was a long time ago, Michael. It's over now. Carly's safe with us here in the house and no one will ever kidnap her again."  
  
"He was the one that told you about Damian, though." Michael sat on the couch. "I don't know what to think, daddy. I still don't like him, but if he didn't tell you that Damian was in trouble something bad could have happened."  
  
Sonny sighed. He'd have to have a discussion with his other son about influencing his younger and much more impressionable son. But, for now, he'd have to play damage control with Michael. But, he could he deny that Ric was the reason that Sonny was tipped off to his son's plight? He couldn't. Worse, Michael was there when Ric barged in, so he knew the truth and Sonny wouldn't be able to work his way around it. "One good deed can never make up for all the bad things that Ric did to so many people in his life, Michael."  
  
"Do you think you'll ever forgive him?" Michael wondered.  
  
"No, I don't think I ever will," Sonny told his son, entirely honest. "Once someone hurts me the way that Ric did, it's very hard to get back on my good side."  
  
"Would you ever get mad at me like that?"  
  
"Of course not," Sonny stated. "Nothing that you ever do can make me mad at you, Michael. No matter what you do, I'll be proud of you. Besides, you could never do something mean like what Ric did to your mommy. You're not the type of person that he is, you're a good boy and you'll become a good man when you grow up."  
  
"I want to be like you and Uncle Jason!" Michael said happily, focusing on the two male role models in his life. "You always help people that need help, and stop the bad people from hurting the good people."  
  
Sonny put on a smile that belied how he felt about what Michael had said. While he, like most fathers, was beaming with pride at the idea that his son wanted to be just like him, Sonny knew that it wasn't nearly as safe as Michael thought it was. Michael didn't realize the things that happened in his life on a daily basis. He might have an idea, but it obviously wasn't enough to turn him off to the idea of carrying around a gun and worrying about being shot by one of your enemies while you walked down the street. Of course, Sonny wasn't about to relay this information to Michael, especially not at the age he was. "You can be a better man than I could ever hope to be, Michael. You will be a better man that I will ever be. You'll find a way to help people better than I ever have, and you'll make me so proud. You'll make us all proud. Not that you haven't already done that so many times. You're one of the best people I've ever met, Michael. You act so grown up when other kids would be so scared. You protect the people that you care about, even when you might get hurt. Never let anyone tell you that you're anything less than a good kid, okay?"  
  
"I'm not sure I understand," Michael commented softly.  
  
"You're not supposed to understand everything right now, Mike. Just remember what I said. When you get old enough, you'll know."  
  
"Can I go color now?" Michael asked.  
  
"Of course. Just don't color on the walls or anything," Sonny remarked as the boy ran up the stairs. A part of Sonny hated that he had to be so secretive about his life to his son, but the bigger part of him knew that Michael wasn't ready to accept what Sonny was. Until Michael could accept that, he would have to remain as in the dark as possible. It was for his own good. Sonny couldn't take having Michael hate the person that he was.  
  
"You're amazing, you know that."  
  
Sonny turned around, "Damian."  
  
Damian walked towards his father, "You're such a good father. I guess I always knew that, but didn't want to see it because of the person I thought you were. But you're not just that person, are you, dad? You're not the Sonny Corinthos that people want me to believe that you are."  
  
"What do you think I am?" Sonny asked.  
  
"I think that you're a person that has been through a lot and is trying to make up for the mistakes that you've made in the past by becoming a better person and giving your sons a better future than you ever had. I'm sorry I was so harsh on you."  
  
Sonny shook his head, "You had reason to be angry at me for lying to you."  
  
"I should have realized these things sooner."  
  
"You're a smart kid, Damian, but even you can't understand everything right away." Sonny walked over and got some water. "We need to talk."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"About what you told Michael about Ric."  
  
"I just couldn't see why Michael hated him so much, dad. He's just a little boy, he shouldn't hold that much hate in his heart for anyone."  
  
"Ric's done some horrible stuff to this family," Sonny said. "You know the story of how he kept Carly in that room for most of the summer."  
  
"I know, but I can't help thinking that he feels horrible about it."  
  
"Ric doesn't feel horrible about anything!" Sonny remarked. "He fed his ex- wife birth control pills and hired a doctor to tell her that she was barren. That man has no soul, no conscience."  
  
"If he doesn't have a conscience then why did he tell you that Faith was coming after me? If he doesn't have a soul then why is he so hurt whenever Michael calls him 'bad man?' Dad, he's family."  
  
"No matter how much either of tries to erase it, we can't get past the fact that we're half brothers."  
  
"You shouldn't try and erase family," Damian stated. "No matter how bad they are, they're a part of you. Believe me, I've got plenty of relatives back in Los Angeles that I can't stand, but I would never want them hurt."  
  
"You need to realize something for your own good, son. Ric's a horrible person who will stop at nothing to use any of us to his advantage."  
  
"I like to think that people can end up atoning for their past, dad," Damian said sadly. He understood that Ric wasn't the best person in the world, but that didn't mean that he was all bad. Elizabeth loved him. How could she love someone that she didn't see as even somewhat good?  
  
"You're entitled to your own opinion, and so am I."  
  
"What about Michael?" Damian wondered.  
  
"What's he have to do with this?" Sonny wondered.  
  
"That's the entire basis of this argument we're having, dad. Don't try to hide it. You're upset that I told Michael how I felt about Uncle Ric. You shouldn't be. I told him that he should feel the way he wants to feel about anything and anyone. I want my little brother to be independent." Damian started towards the door, "But can he do that if you're trying to make him feel one way about something and he doesn't feel it himself?"  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"To see Maxie. Do me a big favor, dad. Don't send Uncle Jason after me." Damian closed the door and waited for the elevator to open up. He needed to get out, away from the problems that were already brewing inside that house.  
  
110 


	74. What is Real and What is Fake

Chalina- Yes, Damian and Sonny are very different people, although they've got a lot of things in common. It gives them a complexity to their relationship that is part of the heart of this story. Thank you for your praise.  
  
Story-  
  
General Hospital-  
  
There were many reasons why Maxie Jones should not have been working as a candy-stripper on that day. She had just been through some of the most traumatic hours in her short life, no one would have held it against her had she decided to call one of her first personal days in some time. Yet, she couldn't do it. Everything that happened at the hospital gave her a reason to forget about her own problems and immerse herself in the problems that were being handed to her by the doctors. She needed that escape. At least she was no longer turning to things like drugs, alcohol, and sex in order to gain such an escape. She had grown up so much in such a short time. Everyone that knew her was proud of her progression from uncertain teenager to confident young woman. Of course, she knew that it was a lie. She wasn't confident. She may have no longer been making such stupid decisions, but he knew next to nothing about herself. She loved her father, her sister, and she loved Damian. Those were the only things that she knew for certain. She didn't know if she could survive being around the man that she loved. She didn't know if she could survive having her father and Damian be at odds over her.  
  
The worst part for Maxie was that she knew that she should have been fine about what happened. Nothing bad happened to anyone, except Zander. She wiped away a tear from her eye as she thought about Zander. That split second in her life had flashed through her mind hundreds of times since it had occurred. Zander was her friend. And now, even more than that, Zander was her savior. Where things different, had she not found the love that she cherished so much with Damian, perhaps she could have felt the same for Zander. Maxie ran a hand through her hair. Why did she always fall in love with the wrong people? Why did she always have feelings for people that would either use her or put her in danger? Why did Mac always hate the people that she liked? Well, that final question had an answer that was easy enough to decipher: Mac would always think that anyone, save a man that he picked himself, would never be good enough for either of his daughters. It was a cute quality, one that Frisco would have never utilized, had he decided to stay around and actually be a father for them both. At times, however, that quality was so very annoying. Poor Dillon was still getting the cold shoulder by a man that would more than likely turn out to be his father in law within a matter of years. Even if Dillon and Georgie did get married, would Mac accept it? They had a better chance at Mac's acceptance than Damian and Maxie did, that much was certain. But she didn't even know if she could see herself as Damian's wife. She loved him, yes. But Mac was right on so many levels. He would always be in danger, always put people in danger. If they had children, they would be Sonny's grandchildren.  
  
She was afraid for lives that weren't even born yet, might not ever be born. She wasn't even this scared when she was at death's door when she was a little girl. She should have been petrified then, but she wasn't. Maxie was strong then, but she was weak now.  
  
"I'm going to ask you this question again, Maxie. Are you sure you should be here?"  
  
Maxie snapped out of her thoughts and looked at her sister. Georgie. Always the supportive one, the one that would take Felicia's shoes no matter what. "I need something to take my mind off my problems."  
  
"Then why have you been holding those files in your hands for the last five minutes?" Georgie asked as she put her hands on both of Maxie's shoulders. "You're not going to be able to brush these feelings that you're having off as quickly as you want. I know you're good at blowing things that are important out of your mind, like tests and essays, but even you're not that good."  
  
"Georgie, I'm fine!" Maxie almost shouted. "Look, I'm going to file these things right now, I promise!"  
  
"Why are you fighting me, Maxie?" Georgie asked. "I'm only trying to help."  
  
"I know that, but right now I don't need people constantly reminding me how I should feel. I need people telling me to just forget everything that happened and focus on other things."  
  
"I can't tell you to do that," Georgie admitted. "Because, even if I did, I know that you'd never be able to forget what happened. You've probably thought about that moment a hundred times since you woke up this morning, if not more."  
  
"I have not!"  
  
Georgie shot her sister a stern look, "You never could lie to me, even when we were little. Remember when you tried to tell me that Frisco would be coming back soon?"  
  
"You didn't believe me."  
  
"Because you didn't believe yourself," Georgie stated. "I can read you like a book most of the time, Maxie. Even when you think that I don't know what's going on, I do. So, why don't you tell me what's going on in your head?"  
  
"Every time I close my eyes, Georgie, I see the gun pointed at me. I see the gun go off. I feel my body go limp when I think that it's all going to end."  
  
"That's not the worst part, is it?"  
  
Maxie shook her head, "No, it isn't."  
  
Georgie moved her sister out of the nurses' station and instead sat her down on one of the couches that were stationed in the surrounding area. "Tell me."  
  
"I had a dream last night, Georgie. The situation was the same, but something was different. It wasn't Zander that took the bullet. It was Damian. And he didn't survive. I felt his blood on my hands as I told him to hang on, but he couldn't do it. He tried to tell me that he loved me before he died, but he couldn't do it before he finally did die. Every time I tried to go to sleep, all I saw was that image over and over." Maxie's body shook with the traumatic retelling of the dream to her sister. It was a fear of hers. She lost Kyle, even though she didn't love him, even though he didn't love her. Maybe Faith was right, maybe she was destined to lose the people that she thought meant something to her. Mac could be shot or hurt at any moment with his job. Zander was in a hospital bed somewhere on the West Coast. Damian almost died. Dillon was a Quatermaine, which alone put him in the crossfire of just about anyone in Port Charles. Georgie was in the same boat she was, the daughter of Mac Scorpio. Would it all come down to everyone around her being dead? She couldn't deal with that.  
  
"It was just a dream, Maxie," Georgie said in a comforting tone.  
  
"Yeah, last night it was a dream! And if I have it again tonight, or tomorrow night it might be. But who can say that it will always be a dream, Georgie? One day will I find his body on the ground, shot because he wouldn't give himself up for Sonny?" Maxie closed his eyes, "Or worse, shot because he wouldn't let me die."  
  
"You worry too much. You never used to worry this much."  
  
"I never had reason to worry this much about anything in my life, Georgie!" Maxie pointed out. "Everything in my life used to be so concrete, but now it's like I wake up in the morning and I'm not even sure what's going to happen. I woke up yesterday morning and I wasn't even sure if I'd make it out alive. I'm so scared now."  
  
"I had an idea that I'd find you here." Damian walked up and stood next to Maxie, "Always at the hospital, even when you shouldn't be."  
  
Maxie looked up, her eyes running with tears once more, "How long have you been standing there?"  
  
"Long enough."  
  
Georgie got up, "I'll give you two some time alone."  
  
Damian glanced over at Georgie, "Thanks."  
  
"Damian, I didn't mean anything I was saying," Maxie said as she watched Georgie walk away.  
  
Damian shook his head, "No, Maxie. You meant every word that you said, and I don't want you to ever deny that. I know that I put you in danger. I know that you could have died because of me. I know that I could have died. And I hate myself for all of those things. I love you, Maxie. I love you so much, but I want you to be happy. If you're not going to be happy with me, if you can't stop worrying about me dying from day to day, then maybe I should just leave you. It would kill me inside, but not as much as knowing that you were hurt and worried about me would."  
  
"The dream scared me, Damian."  
  
Damian put Maxie's hand on his cheek. "Can you feel me, Maxie? This is reality. We're both alive right now. You can feel the warmth of my body on your hand. You know the feelings I have for you. I can't promise you that I'll be around forever, but if you can tell me that promising to you that I'll be around as long as I can be isn't enough, then I'll bow out of your life and let you find someone who can make you as happy as you deserve to be. I really thought I could be that person for you, but if I can't, I won't hold you back from finding someone who can be."  
  
It hit Maxie at that moment. The knowledge that she was still in love with him and would never want him to be out of her life. Even if he did die, she would cherish every moment that they did have together. If she broke it off then and there, if they never saw each other again, it would kill a small part of her when she knew that he was gone. When she knew that she wasted so much time away from him because she was afraid of losing him. She was going to lose him one way or another. She wanted to make sure she had him as long as she could. Maxie got up from the chair and wrapped her arms around Damian's neck. "You are that person for me. I'll always be afraid of what could happen to you, what could happen to us, but at least I'll always have those memories."  
  
"There's something I need to ask you."  
  
Maxie pulled away to get a look at his face, "What is it?"  
  
"My dad and Carly want me to live with them again. They want me to be safe, and they want to make sure that Michael feels safe about where I am. He was so afraid last night, Maxie. When I saw him last night he refused to let me leave. He refused to let me out of his sight. He felt that I was going to die if he wasn't always watching me."  
  
"He loves you. You're his big brother."  
  
"What do you think I should do?" Damian asked. "You're the one person that I trust more than anyone in this town. If you don't want me living there again, please tell me. I'll find a way to make Michael understand."  
  
"But you want to live there again, don't you?"  
  
Damian turned away, "I don't know what I want. That's why I'm here. I need help, Maxie. You can help me."  
  
"You don't need my help, Damian. You know deep down that you want to start rebuilding the relationship that you and your dad were starting to make before you found out about his life. You know that you want to keep Michael as safe as possible, because you're a good big brother even though you've only known him for such a short time. You even want to actually stop being so hostile towards Carly."  
  
"I wouldn't go that far," Damian muttered.  
  
For the first time in a long while, Maxie smiled a genuine smile. "Don't try and hide your feelings of sadness over how much you and Carly disagree. I know it hurts you somewhere deep down."  
  
"She can't see me for the person that I really am. Michael can see it, so can everyone else. I'll never understand why Carly stays so blind."  
  
"It's her choice," Maxie said. "Even if it's the wrong choice, you can't force her to think a way that you want her to think. Even if you could make her like you, you wouldn't do it. You know that in time she'll warm up to you. How can she not warm up to the best person the planet?"  
  
Damian chuckled uneasily, "Your praise couldn't come at a better time, and neither could your advice. But, what about when we want to see each other? I know your father wouldn't let you come to the penthouse, and I can't go to your place as long as he's around."  
  
"I don't care what my dad thinks about our relationship, Damian. If he tries to keep us apart he's just going to see how hard it is for me to let you go. I wish he wasn't so blind as well."  
  
"You just have to hope that everything will turn out okay in the end," Damian said softly as he kissed Maxie. "I'm sorry that everything happened."  
  
"In a way it could be considered a good thing. It helped me realize how much I'd hate life if I were away from you."  
  
"I'm a better person because I met you, Maxie Jones. You need to know that."  
  
Maxie shook her head, "You could never be a better person than you already where when I did meet you."  
  
"You opened up a part of me that no one else ever did, Maxie. You gave me hope."  
  
"You always know what to say in order to make me cry, don't you?" Maxie asked as she started to tear up again. She didn't care. They were tears of joy. He was the most romantic guy she'd ever met.  
  
115 


	75. Long Term Contract

Note: Brian is dead, let us rejoice!  
  
Shamira- You read the chapters that I make comments on... which actually makes me think that you might be way ahead of where you seem to be. I dunno, I'm just strange like that. I too like Justus. Granted, I'm more of a Joseph C Phillips fan, because he was in the Cosby Show and I love the Cosby Show, so I'm playing favorites, but I do not care. Anti-Journey Elizabeth is indeed shudder worthy, so creepy. The dynamic between Damian and his Nana over the phone was something that showed how close they still were, while it showed how much the rest of the family didn't really care for him. The chankla IS a scary thing, we all fear the sandal of death! Remember, Damian's homefront isn't PC, it be Los Angeles. Ah, the Widow and her plans... will they never stop? Nope!  
  
I was quite proud of myself for the 100k words, I was. And I'm even more proud of myself for the 100 reviews. Actually, I'm proud of you all for reviewing my story over 100 times, it makes me feel good. AND this is the 75th chapter. So much celebration, so little time. Carly was 'just watching' Sonny make the food, he's not stupid enough to let her touch the kitchen, nope. I wanted to do something with Max, and give him more of a role than the official door opener. He might be regulated to doing that from hereon in, but he had his moment in the sun. Carly's process will be slow and painful, but when it comes to a head... oh, that's going to be fun. Don't you just love that dynamic between Sonny and Damian. Sonny's always trying to buy the boy, but he basically doesn't want any money at all. I love it, personally. Of course, I wouldn't write it if I didn't love it. You should love your Piano lessons. I wish I could play the piano. Besides, Damian can... heh.  
  
Story-  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
She sat on the couch, holding Morgan in her arms. Even though Leticia was there and was a great caretaker to both of her nephews, Courtney knew that they could be a handful. She had spent a lot of her time watching them. She understood the quirks that they had as well as, if not better than, Leticia herself. The sad part was that they both knew Morgan better than his own mother. It wasn't Carly's fault. Not entirely. She had spent most of Morgan's life not knowing how much she loved him. Either by being in a coma, or by not knowing because her feelings had been temporarily shut down. During that time, Courtney took it upon herself to be their mother. While it hurt to let them go, she knew that it was the right thing to do. She could be content with being Aunt Courtney to her two nephews. She glanced over as the door opened and Damian walked in. She smiled as she mentally corrected herself: three nephews. "Hey," She said softly. Morgan was asleep in her arms. She didn't want to wake him up by sampling greeting his big brother. Her luck didn't hold out, however. He awoke as he heard her voice. To his credit, Morgan didn't fuss. But he was awake.  
  
Damian frowned. He didn't mean to wake up Morgan. "Sorry," He murmured.  
  
Courtney shook her head, "It's not your fault."  
  
Damian walked over and put his finger around Morgan's little hand. "Nice to know that something isn't my fault."  
  
"You're still blaming what happened yesterday on yourself, aren't you?" Courtney asked.  
  
"I don't know why I do it," Damian admitted. "But the fact remains the same. Everything that's happened because of me is my fault. If I had never come here things would have been different."  
  
"Things would have been worse," Courtney said.  
  
Damian shook his head, "That's debatable."  
  
"No, it isn't." Courtney sighed, "You don't know how much you mean to us, Damian. I don't know why you choose to ignore the fact that we care, but we do."  
  
"I'm not ignoring anything, Aunt Courtney. The facts remain the same. Dad and Carly wouldn't have had that period where they were upset at each other. Maxie would have never been put in danger. My grandparents would have never met up with Faith and almost died. Michael wouldn't have been through all the trauma that I've put him through. I've done a lot since I've been here. I can try and lie to myself by saying that it was good, but the truth is that it wasn't."  
  
"Try looking at it through my eyes," Courtney said. "If you wouldn't have come here my brother would have never known that he had a full grown son that wanted to help people because of his own pain. Michael would have never had a big brother to look up to when he needed it. Maxie would probably still be in a relationship with Kyle because you wouldn't have been there to save her when she needed it. I would have never found out that I've got a nephew who has the guts to stand up to Carly of all people." Courtney was silent for a moment before she spoke again, "Want to know a secret?"  
  
Damian cocked an eyebrow, "Depends on the secret."  
  
"Last night before we went to bed, Jason admitted that he could get used to you calling him Uncle Jason."  
  
"I might as well have put a bullet in him, he was so shocked."  
  
"His family isn't exactly the best family on the face of the world," Courtney mused. She'd been married into it twice, although the second time was thankfully without as many visits to the Quatermaine household. They weren't all bad, of course. Edward alone made her skin crawl, and she never wanted to be involved with him unless she absolutely had to be. "They've known each other their whole lives and they hardly ever call anyone anything other than their first name, unless they are the parents. You've barely known Jason for a month and you're already using an honorific on him. It's going to take him some time to adjust. But he will, in time."  
  
"I want a good relationship with everyone in this family," Damian admitted. "Even Carly."  
  
"She's going to be the hardest obstacle for you. She's the most stubborn woman I've ever met in my life. But once she lets people in, they see that she's really a good person inside."  
  
"I want to believe that she is, and maybe a part of me does. But it is really hard to accept that someone can be a good person if she won't even let me prove myself to her."  
  
"You shouldn't have to prove yourself to anyone," Courtney said. "If they can't see you for who you are, then they don't deserve to be someone that you can trust. You didn't try and prove that you were a good person to me, but I saw it because I couldn't deny that you were."  
  
"I was so mean to you that first night I met you."  
  
Courtney laughed, "I wasn't exactly the nicest person on the planet that night."  
  
"You know, none of my aunts back in Los Angeles are as nice and supportive as you. I'm glad I finally have an Aunt that I can actually confide in."  
  
"What was it like?" Courtney asked. "You don't really talk about your life back in Los Angeles very hard."  
  
"It was hard, but they cared about me. They might have treated me differently, even before my mom died, but they never gave me a vibe other than one that showed how much they loved me. After she was gone, though, they distanced themselves from me. Or, maybe I distanced myself from them. It could have been either, or both. I took it really hard when it happened. I shut everyone out of my life for a lot longer than I should have. I stopped eating. I stopped talking to my family. I basically went to school and came home, staying in a dark corner of my room and waiting for everything to end."  
  
"What helped you recover?"  
  
"Ironically, when I thought about ending everything myself."  
  
Courtney gasped. "You wanted to kill yourself?"  
  
Damian nodded, "I gave it some real thought one night. I didn't really have anything worth living for anymore, or so I thought. But I remembered my mom and that was enough to keep me going. I had went a long period of time thinking that she didn't love me enough to stay. Eventually I realized that she loved me enough to keep me alive. I've never thought about it again after that. I was still reclusive, but I was certainly happier."  
  
"I'm happy that you're here," Courtney said. She held Morgan out to him.  
  
"What are you doing?" Damian asked. "Am I supposed to be looking at a new outfit or something?"  
  
"Hold him for a second," Courtney stated with a smirk. "I need to get a drink of water."  
  
"Hold him?" Damian didn't like where this was going. "I've held him once, isn't that enough?"  
  
"Please?"  
  
Damian sighed. "Let the record show that you forced me into holding my baby brother should he meet an untimely end." When he grabbed the baby and wrapped him safely around his arms Morgan giggled. "You think I'm funny?"  
  
"You don't have to be so nervous about everything, you know," Courtney poured herself some water and took a sip. "Morgan can tell when you're nervous. He knew Carly wasn't feeling him like she should have the first time she held him."  
  
"Sorry. Some things are just really hard to get over. I could learn to like this, though. I mean, he isn't crying or anything. Aren't they supposed to do that?"  
  
"Only when you're not doing something right."  
  
"I hope I never have to help someone this small fight for their lives," Damian said. "He's just barely started living. He shouldn't have any problems for a long time."  
  
"He won't, as long as he has people like his big brother to protect him."  
  
"I'm not a miracle worker, Aunt Courtney."  
  
"Are you sure about that?" She wondered. "When you look at all the lives you've helped change just by being who you are. By the way, how's Maxie?"  
  
"A little shaken up," Damian informed her. "But that's understandable, given what she's been through. Mac's pretty adamant on keeping us apart."  
  
"I told you that he would be."  
  
"Don't you just love it when you're right?" Damian asked sarcastically as he eyed Morgan. The baby was looking up at him. It felt oddly comforting.  
  
"Most of the time," Courtney replied with a grin on her face. "But, in this case, I'm really sad that I was right."  
  
"Mac's the least of my worries. The biggest problem in my relationship with Maxie is making it last. She's afraid of me now, Aunt Courtney. Not because I'd hurt her, but because someone could hurt me or hurt her because of me." Damian turned away from Morgan, but still kept the baby in his arms. "I can't help but think that it might be better if we do break up."  
  
"It wouldn't be," Courtney said. "Jason and I have our differences, and we've thought things like that form time to time, but we stay together because loving one another is the only thing that we know how to do. We can't hate it each other. We can't be mad at each other for very long. Everything comes back to the fact that we feel that we are meant for each other. Do you feel that way about Maxie?"  
  
"I feel that way about Maxie. The question is, does she feel that way about me?"  
  
"Do you feel she does?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
Michael came rushing down the stairs. "You came back!"  
  
"Did you ever think that I wouldn't?" Damian asked.  
  
"No, but you didn't tell me you were leaving. The last time you went away you didn't tell me you were leaving either."  
  
"The last time I made a very big mistake," Damian admitted. "I don't ever want to make that mistake again. Where's dad at, Michael?"  
  
"Right here," Sonny said as he walked in behind Damian. He had taken some time to himself as well. He hadn't been there for more than a minute, and he heard none of the discussion between his sister and his son. "You take care of everything that you were worrying about?"  
  
"I did," Damian said. "I got some perspective on my life and re-evaluated where I wanted to be right now. I don't want to be alone. I don't want to go home to an apartment that I share with no one. I want to come home to a place where I have a father and two little brothers living with me."  
  
"You can always have that, Damian," Sonny said with a wide smile. His boy was coming home.  
  
"What's happening?" Michael asked.  
  
Courtney took Morgan back from Damian so that he could talk to Michael without fear of something happening to the baby. Damian sat on the edge of the couch, "I'm staying for longer than you thought, kid."  
  
"You're coming to live with me again?" Michael was beyond gleeful.  
  
"Not just you. With my family." He felt that he was making the right decision. He didn't know what would happen down the road, but he could face it. More than likely he could face it.  
  
119 


	76. Invitation For An Actual Date

Rosa- Worry not about not reviewing, I realize that people have other things that take up their time, I just appreciate that you review when you can. I mean, reviewing every chapter would be great, but it can also be highly unrealistic. Courtney's always the type of person that anyone can spill their guts to, she's just that warm and inviting. Plus, it showed Damian at his darkest time, which I wanted to show because he doesn't really seem like the type that would be so unadjusted. Any time Damian and Morgan are within a 5 feet radius of one another it leads to some comedy. He's very unsure of his ability to hold babies. I certainly hope the other readers are as pleased with Damian's choice to live with Sonny once more. Only one way to find out (pokes people)...  
  
Story-  
  
Kelly's, Wednesday afternoon-  
  
There had been no problems during Damian's short time living under the roof of his father and the rest of his family. In fact, he was actually having a bit of fun. Michael was the happiest he had been in some time, there was nothing that could bring him down since he could stay around his big brother all the time. Occasionally, very occasionally, Damian would actually volunteer to hold Morgan, although he still wasn't entirely comfortable with the premise of holding such a small baby in his arms and being trusted with its safekeeping. Morgan appeared to be in one piece still, so he was obviously doing something right.  
  
His Aunt Courtney would debate that he was doing a lot of things right. It was strange, the way that they connected. Neither of them would have assumed that they would become so close in such a short period of time after the first impressions that they gave one another. That was all behind them now, and for that they were both thankful. If they could have played it differently then, they would have. Everyone would have. Except for Carly, more than likely. But even she wasn't as bad as she was the first time she housed Damian under 'her' roof. There was still that animosity, but it was certainly a few levels down on the scale. Some would dare make the claim that she was even acting civil. She would hear none of it, though.  
  
Sonny had started reasserting himself in the organization. So far he had done a good job. It was odd how fast he worked. Barely four days into making the decision to take up the life again and he was back in full swing, as if he had never taken himself away from his past. Or at least tried. It scared Damian when he thought about how easily his father could slip from the family man he wanted to be and tried to be back into the person he had been for such a long time. But, unlike the first time, Damian could see that glint in Sonny's eyes when he came home and hugged Michael. Sonny was a man of questionable motive, but there was no way that anyone could question his devotion to the people that he loved. Damian had tried that the first time, and he now realized just how wrong and foolish that was. Sonny was a father. Sonny was his father.  
  
His schooling was going better than it had before he moved back with his father. Damian had to admit that after the first incident his attention had been diverted to say the least. Now he could concentrate on his field more. It was a lot of work, but he knew that well before he even tried to get into medical school. He could do it. Of course, that didn't mean that he wouldn't allow himself to have some fun every now and then. That was the entire reason why he was at Kelly's. He had no intention of going upstairs, although the room up there was still his. Sonny continued to pay for it.  
  
"Waiting for your girlfriend?" Elizabeth asked as she walked up to the table that Damian was sitting at.  
  
He nodded, "Everything's been so hectic lately. This will be the first time where there wasn't something eating at one of us. At least I hope it will be. How about you?" He asked. "How are things going with Uncle Ric?"  
  
"Couldn't be better," She said with a grin, thinking of Ric. "We're both so happy that everything turned out okay with you."  
  
"Not as happy as I am," Damian mused. "Things could have been a whole lot worse."  
  
"But they weren't."  
  
"Because of Uncle Ric. I owe him my life. Actually, I owe you my life, too."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"It's no secret that he and my father have an uncomfortable history with one another. Had you not been around, had you not been my friend, I don't know if I would have made it back to Port Charles alive."  
  
"Ric wouldn't have let you die," Elizabeth said. "He would have went to Sonny even without me."  
  
Damian wasn't too sure about that, but he wasn't going to argue with Elizabeth. He didn't want to hurt his friend's feelings. "I'm sure you're right."  
  
"You know, this is the first time that I've seen you here for awhile. Do you just happen to sneak by when I'm doing something in the kitchen?"  
  
Damian shook his head, "I went to live with my father again. He wants to give it another try. So do I."  
  
"Do you really?" Elizabeth asked. "Or are you just hiding the part of yourself that doesn't want to because you don't want to disappoint a lot of people?"  
  
"It's what I want, Elizabeth. Really."  
  
She smiled at him, "I'm happy that you're doing something that you want to do, Damian. I hope it turns out better than the last time you tried it."  
  
"I have a feeling it will," Damian admitted with a burst of unusual enthusiasm. He really did hope that everything would turn out for the better.  
  
Dillon came in, laptop in hand. His less than pleasant face changed moods quickly when he saw Damian at a table. "You have no idea how happy I am that you're here!"  
  
"Hi to you, too," Damian muttered as Dillon took a seat. He didn't mind Dillon's barging in, though. They were friends, and he would help if he could. "What's up?"  
  
"Georgie's busy with her own assignments, but I really need help on this history paper," Dillon brought up the assignment that he had typed on the screen. He read it, "Write a response to how you would feel had you been in the Trojan war."  
  
Damian snickered, "Why would they give you an assignment like that?"  
  
Dillon shrugged, "They don't have anything better to do with their time other than give me busy work that I don't care about. I think teacher's are created just to make me upset over something."  
  
"Do you think it was worth it?"  
  
"What?" Dillon asked.  
  
"The Trojan war," Damian informed Dillon. "You know, the war in ancient Greece that was fought over Helen or Troy, the most beautiful woman in the land. Thousands upon thousands of soldiers died for one woman."  
  
"They couldn't all have her, could they?"  
  
"They were just doing their duty as soldiers of their country, Dillon."  
  
"So they died for a woman that probably wouldn't even pay them any attention?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Dillon rolled his eyes, "I'd never do that. I mean, I'd die for Georgie, but that's because I love her, you know? I couldn't just give my life away for someone that I didn't even know."  
  
"A real man wouldn't care if he knew a person, he'd tried to save them anyway." Damian and Dillon looked over and saw Mac standing a few feet away. Mac's voice didn't hide any of his discomfort, "Imagine this, seeing both of my daughter's boyfriends at the same place together. I could only be so lucky. At least I know that if you're both here and neither of them are that they're safe."  
  
"Are they really?" Damian asked. "How do you know that there isn't some thug trying to get to you through them right now?"  
  
"Because my daughters know how to keep themselves safe from real thugs. It's the people that appear to be harmless that can do them the most harm."  
  
"Wouldn't that include you?" Damian snapped back. "You try and keep them safe, by your definition mind you, but you deny them something that they want, which is only bringing both of your daughters harm. If you'd actually open your eyes and see that they're not little girls who need their daddy to constantly protect them and keep them away from bad people maybe they'd be happier."  
  
"I will raise my daughters the way that I choose to raise them," Mac grabbed his coffee and left, fuming because he had been lectured by a child.  
  
Dillon, on the other hand, wasn't angry. He was rather impressed. "You stood up to Mac?"  
  
"It's not that hard," Damian admitted. "I just don't like the way that he tries to judge me. Or you, for that matter."  
  
"Kyle would have never stood up for me like that."  
  
"I'm not Kyle."  
  
Dillon stared at Damian. He didn't look like Kyle, and he didn't act like Kyle. He was so much better than Kyle could ever have hoped to be. "No, I guess you're not. He was one of the worst people I've ever seen in my life. I mean, I'm a Quatermaine. I know a thing or two about less than pleasant people. This guy was really bad."  
  
"I know he was," Damian had heard the stories. "It's really sad that he never had a chance to change."  
  
"He wouldn't have, even if he did have the chance."  
  
"I suppose you're right."  
  
Maxie walked in and saw her boyfriend. She could tell that he wasn't happy about something. At that moment she didn't even register Dillon, although she should have. His hair was something that couldn't be ignored, after all. She hadn't seen her father. He had gone a different direction than the way that she came in. "What's wrong?" She asked, walking up to him.  
  
"Mac was just here," Damian muttered.  
  
"He didn't threaten you, did he?"  
  
"He did it in that way that only Mac can do it," Dillon piped up, keeping his eyes on the screen as he attempted to gain some ground on his paper. "Telling us that we weren't men and that we would only hurt you and Georgie."  
  
"I'm so sorry, guys." Maxie said softly. "I wish I could get my dad to understand how much I care for you, and how much Georgie cares for Dillon."  
  
"He knows," Damian said as she grabbed Maxie's hand. "Somewhere deep down he knows that we love you both. He's trying to cling on to the fact that his little girls aren't that little anymore. You're going to both be too old for him to loom over soon."  
  
"He's always going to be my dad," Maxie said to no one in particular. "Maybe I should tell him that."  
  
"It might help," Damian agreed. "Dillon, you got enough help for that assignment?"  
  
"I think so."  
  
Damian took Maxie's hand and took her outside the restaurant. "I want to do something with you tomorrow."  
  
Maxie looked at him, "What do you mean?"  
  
"I want to take you out," Damian told her. "I want us to have an actual date. I want us to be together for a night when we don't have to worry about your father, my father, or anyone else that tries to give us problems. You don't have to work, do you?"  
  
"No, I've got the night off."  
  
"So, do you want to do it?" Damian asked. "I mean, if you don't want to, we don't have to. We can wait as long as you want."  
  
"I'd love to go out with you," Maxie grinned from ear to ear. She had been waiting so long to actually go out with Damian. Truthfully, the feeling was mutual. "What are we going to do?"  
  
"Everything will be planned by tomorrow night. You don't need to dress up or anything."  
  
"What do you have planned?" Maxie wondered.  
  
"You're just going to have to wait till tomorrow night, won't you?" Damian was as cryptic as possible, but it was in a good way. "I'll call you later," He kissed Maxie on the lips and then walked away.  
  
124 


	77. Learning From the Master

Rosa- That entire conversation was seriously just filler material. Thank God Dillon really doesn't study. He's a very smart kid, but he doesn't apply himself. Damian did, which would explain why he's in Med School. Really, though, complete filler material was that entire conversation. Glad you liked it though. As far as I know it was Helen of Troy, because Troy was the city that she lived in. Of course, if this is some ploy about OLtL's character Troy... I don't watch it, so I don't really get it. Yes, Mac got stood up to. Damian don't take it from no one, and if he's going to stand up to Carly... why wouldn't he stand up to Mac? He'd stand up to Tracy if she were around! Things appear to be just fine in the Penthouse, but as we all know such things do not last. At least he will always have Aunt Courtney there with him, right? I like their relationship, too. She's my favorite character on the show by far. Thank you for liking him. Yes, 76 chapters, and at least 70 since they met... and they finally go on a date. Who said I don't work slow? As for the plans, well, those will start coming into place on Sunday when the date chapters start getting posted. I'm like 30ish pages ahead of what you're reading, so I know what's going on. Hah, I am the all knower of the ways!  
  
Story-  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
Sonny walked into his home, the place that he had worked very hard to keep somewhat secluded from his less than uncomplicated life. While there would always be times when the business would bleed into his home life, it at least provided him a temporary escape from the hectic times that he was often faced with. Today was no different. There was plenty on his mind. Myer had told him that the shipments were not meeting up with any resistance, but people still felt that Sonny wasn't at the top of his game. Sonny didn't care what 'people' thought, he only cared that he did the best job that he could. If people didn't understand that, if they couldn't respect that, then they weren't worth his time. If anyone did try and mess with his shipments, they would quickly find out why messing with Sonny Corinthos was the dumbest mistake that they could have ever made. Maybe he didn't make as big an example of Faith as he should have. It put the fear back in some people, but certainly not enough.  
  
He lifted the lid off his cell phone and was about to make a call when Damian walked in. Sonny nonchalantly put the phone back in his pocket. He knew that Damian knew everything, but that didn't mean that he needed to hear everything. Keeping the boy in the dark was part of the best way to keep him safe, the other part being having him inside the house with the rest of them. So far the plan had been a complete success, although there was no telling just how long that it would be. "Where were you?" Sonny asked.  
  
"Out," Damian responded.  
  
"Could you give me a little more than that?" Sonny requested.  
  
"I was at Kelly's, waiting for Maxie to come."  
  
"Was that so hard?" Sonny said bluntly.  
  
"Dad, would you please stop treating me like I'm some fragile antique? I don't need constant surveillance. I know it isn't as safe as it could be in this town, but I think I can manage."  
  
"I don't like it when people think they can manage, Damian," Sonny stated, his voice showing just how serious he felt about the matter. "I only like it when people are sure that they can manage, and when I'm sure that they can as well. You're a resourceful young man, son, but the people that would try and use you to get at me would eat you up in a second."  
  
"Some father's and son's have conversations about what they did during the day. Me and you, we converse about how your enemies would want to kill me. Can't you feel the love?"  
  
"I don't think this is something that you should be joking about, Damian."  
  
"I have to, dad," Damian said. "It's the only way that I can handle what happens around me. I can only take so much. People think I'm a lot more adjusted to my life than I really am. They don't realize just how much of it is an act."  
  
"Do I?" Sonny wondered.  
  
"I don't know. Do you?"  
  
"Is this a trick question?"  
  
Damian shook his head, "This question is as hard or as easy as you make it, dad. You think I just wake up in the morning with a smile on my face when I realize that my dad and my uncle are mobsters who frequently kill people, I've got a step-mother who thinks of me with only a little more appreciation than a common homeless beggar, and that the only girl I've ever fallen in love with has dreams about me dying in her arms? Denial is a powerful tool, so is humor. I have to keep a wall up in order to just function from day to day. But at least I manage now. Before... I couldn't."  
  
"You've changed so much since that night that you came out and told me that you were my boy. You're much more self-assured. You don't take anything from anyone, even me."  
  
"Maybe you're rubbing off on me," Damian stated with a sly smirk.  
  
"As long as it's only the somewhat decent qualities that I have. I couldn't stand to see you become what I am."  
  
"You didn't have to do it, dad," Damian looked at his father. He wondered what Sonny had seen, what he had done. He knew bits and pieces, but there was still so much that he was in the dark about. "I know that you couldn't say no when you were younger, when you were my age."  
  
"You going to grill me about being old again?" Sonny wondered.  
  
"No... at last not right now. You don't take orders from anyone anymore, dad. You tried to give up the life, and I'm the one that put you back in it."  
  
"I like this life, Damian," Sonny admitted. "It might make me do things that people don't agree with. It might make me do things that I don't agree with. Even so, it's something that I like to do. I wish that I could be different, or at least a part of me does. But we can't always get what we want, can we? I was dealt the hand that I was dealt, but I didn't let it bring me down. I've gotten just about everything that I could ever want out of the life I lead. I can give my wife anything that she wants, and I can keep my children happy. I wanted to do something different with my life... something different from the way that I was raised. I've never treated Carly the way that Deke treated my mother, and I've never hurt the boys. You helped bring me out of my denial."  
  
"Just like you helped bring me out of mine, I guess," Damian mused.  
  
"Didn't you just say that we were more alike than either of us thought?"  
  
"Only the good qualities, remember?"  
  
"You know how glad I am that you're living here again, don't you?"  
  
"You don't have to keep on telling me that you're happy that I'm around, dad. I wouldn't be here if I didn't really want to be." Damian sat on the couch, "I do wish that I hadn't left the first time. I wasted so many weeks thinking that I could never see you as the father that I wanted you to be. Wasted so many weeks hating you for lying to me."  
  
"I'll always hate myself for doing that to you. I should have been honest."  
  
"You had your reasons," Damian said. "They might not have been the best reasons in the world, but they were at least justified. Just promise me something, would you?"  
  
Sonny gazed over at his eldest son, "What is it?"  
  
"When Michael and Morgan ask, don't lie to them. You need to be as honest with your children as you possibly can, dad. You might want to protect us, but we value your honesty more than anything. It's harder to accept something about a person that you really care for when the person doesn't even tell you the truth after you ask. I just couldn't stand seeing you go through the things that we went through with Michael and Morgan. I know they mean so much to you, and I know it would hurt you more than anything if either of them ever felt that they couldn't trust you." Damian stopped himself for a minute before starting up again, "I'm not saying that you go upstairs and tell Michael anything right now, but he's going to ask someday. He's going to hear things, he's going to see things, and he's eventually going to start putting together the pieces of the puzzle. When that happens you need to be upfront with him. You. Not me. Not Uncle Jason. Not Aunt Courtney. Not Carly. You."  
  
"I never make the same mistake twice, Damian." Sonny poured himself a glass of water. "I let my relationship with you corrode because of a lie. I won't let the same thing happen with Michael or Morgan. I got lucky, you forgave me. Maybe they wouldn't be as considerate."  
  
"Let's hope that you never have to find out, dad."  
  
"So, what did you and Maxie talk about?" Sonny asked, not wanting to dwell on the negative subject that he and his son had just spoken to one another about.  
  
"I asked her out."  
  
"You're already going out."  
  
"No, I mean I asked her out on a date. We're a couple, but we never actually went out and did anything."  
  
Sonny laughed, "Really?"  
  
"Everything has been so chaotic since Michael went in the hospital. If it wasn't that it was me waiting to go to Los Angeles and then it was that whole incident with Faith. We've finally got some downtime before something else happens to us. I'm not going to let the chance pass me up."  
  
"Something will happen..." Sonny mused. "It always does."  
  
"I don't really know what to do, dad."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"This whole date thing," Damian slumped a bit in the couch. "I've got no knowledge of what to do in a situation like this. I mean, the only place I know that even serves food is Kelly's, and I certainly don't want to take her there."  
  
"You want some help?"  
  
"From you?"  
  
"Who better to get help from than me? I'm your father and I happen to be happily married. I think I know a thing or two about romance."  
  
"Can we keep the activities to stuff that is at least legal?" Damian requested, being a little sarcastic, but also being a little serious.  
  
"That takes away some of the more exciting possibilities," Sonny grinned. A few days ago, they would never be having a conversation like the one they were having now. A few days ago, Damian would never have been inside that house for as long as he was. He would have never been as comfortable around Sonny as he was. All in all, the last few days had been good to Sonny. Very good. "I think we can manage something, though."  
  
"I will not dress up in a tuxedo."  
  
"You just enjoy slimming the odds down with every passing minute, don't you?"  
  
"Someone has to keep you on your toes. You think you can come up with something special that doesn't involve fancy suits and things that would get me ten to life in a state pen?"  
  
"It might take some working, but I'm sure I can manage."  
  
"I appreciate the help, dad."  
  
Sonny nodded, "It's about time I started being an actual father to you. Besides, this will give me some practice for when Michael and Morgan start dating."  
  
"You're not the one that they'll have to worry about. Carly's going to be... scary."  
  
"She's already scary," Sonny noted. "She just wants her boys to be happy."  
  
"And she'll think they're happy when she thinks she's happy, right?"  
  
"You catch on fast."  
  
"Can't be a doctor without being able to pick up on the simple things. Now, let's hear some of these ideas."  
  
Sonny grinned once more. Further assured that the days had been good to him.  
  
129 


	78. Prep Time

Scorpio Household, Thursday Afternoon-  
  
Although she had asked it plenty of times within the last few hours, Georgie had to do it again. She would probably continue to ask as long as Maxie was around. "You excited?"  
  
Maxie smiled as she looked at herself in yet another outfit. It was common procedure for girls before a date: They had to try on every single outfit that they possibly could, at least twice. Out of the corner of her eye, through the mirror, she saw Georgie making a face at her latest outfit choice. "What's wrong with it?" Maxie asked.  
  
"If you want to look like a cheap slut, I'm sure he'd love it," Georgie said as she propped herself up using her elbows on Maxie's bed. "I somehow doubt that Damian would be very receptive towards you looking like that."  
  
"Most guys would love to see me in something like this," Maxie said. It was white and left very little to the imagination. Kyle had always said that he thought she would look good in it. She grimaced as she thought of him. She had better things in her life now than he could ever give her, why was she thinking about him at that moment?  
  
"I think we're both well aware that Damian isn't 'most guys,' Maxie."  
  
"Why would he even care what I wore?" Maxie asked as she huffed and rummaged through the piles of clothes once more. "Why do guys put so much emphasis on what we wear to a date?"  
  
"He's not the one doing it, Maxie. You are. I'm sure he'd love you in whatever you wore. Even if you were basically throwing off vibes that you could be bought for a twenty dollar bill."  
  
"Georgie!" Maxie actually turned around and gave her little sister a stern look. "I was never that bad!"  
  
"I know you weren't," Georgie said softly. "I always knew you were better than what everyone else at school wanted us to believe you were. But, nonetheless, you still look like that if you wear something like the outfit you've got on right now."  
  
"What do you suggest then, little sister?" Maxie wondered. "You're much more modest than I am. Why don't you give me some input on what you think I should be wearing?"  
  
"Because anything that I told you to wear you'd shoot down."  
  
"What if I promise you that I won't do that?"  
  
"Then I'd know you were lying," Georgie smugly countered.  
  
"Come on, I promise!" Maxie was almost begging. "I need help! He's not like any of the other guys I've ever liked. He likes me for who I am, but the problem with that is that I'm not entirely sure who I am."  
  
"You're Maxie Jones," Georgie smiled. "You're my big sister. You're a good person at heart, and you're the most nervous I've ever seen you before in my whole life!"  
  
"I'm not shaking, am I?" Maxie asked.  
  
"Not anymore." Georgie got off the bed and started searching through Maxie's clothes. "You know... it's funny."  
  
"What is?" Maxie inquired.  
  
"The way that we do everything backwards when it comes to the relationships that matter to use. I just think that it's amusing. I mean, I saw Dillon at Kelly's and didn't even know who he was, but I still kissed him. Sure, it was just to attempt to make Lucas jealous, but it was the way that we met. We never do anything the way that they want us to do it, do we?"  
  
"I guess not," Maxie admitted. She didn't think that she would meet the person that she loved in the way that she did. She didn't think that she would fall in love with the person that she loved in the way that she did. She did think that her father would attempt to stop them from being in love in the way that he did. "I wish Mac could be here."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Georgie was shocked. "You know that if he was here you'd never make it out that door!"  
  
"I mean I wish Mac was here and he wasn't fighting my relationship so much. Georgie, I want dad to like the boy that I care for. Is that too much to ask?"  
  
Georgie shook her head, "No, but it might be too much to accept from dad."  
  
"You think mom would like him?" Maxie thought of her mother and shook her head. "Of course not, she wouldn't even care."  
  
"You don't mean that," Georgie said, looking up from the pile of clothes. Her face showed the hurt that her heart felt when she thought about how much animosity her sister had for their mother.  
  
"I do," Maxie corrected her. "I'm right about mom, and we both know it."  
  
Georgie ignored the topic of conversation that they were having at that moment. She pulled out a deep blue blouse and straightened it out a little by hand. It wasn't wrinkled bad, but to a girl on her first big date, any flaw was reason for an entire mental breakdown. "What about this? I always thought you looked really nice in it."  
  
"It's so... plain."  
  
Georgie sighed, "See, told you."  
  
"No, I don't mean it like that!" Maxie smiled. "I do like it, but I don't think that it's what I want to wear for something like this. I want to look really good!"  
  
"You look fine!" Georgie protested. "You never realize how good you look when you're like this."  
  
"You're just saying that."  
  
Georgie got up and forced her big sister to look at herself in the mirror. "No, I'm not. I'm looking at the same thing that you're looking at right now, Maxie. I see everything the same way that you do. I see that great smile and those wonderful eyes. But, more importantly, I see the reason that he cares about you so much, why he fell in love with you. I see the girl who finally stopped trying to be like everyone else and found her own identity. I see the girl who finally realized what it was like to be in love, to care about someone so much that you'd do anything just to make sure that they weren't hurt in any way. I see Maxie Jones, and I see that she's never looked as beautiful as she does right now. As long as she puts the blue blouse on, of course."  
  
Maxie laughed as she turned around and hugged her little sister. "You're the best, Georgie. I couldn't ask for a better sister than you. I don't know what I'd do without you."  
  
"Aside from fail out of high school?" Georgie joked.  
  
"You're lucky I'm still too happy about what you said before in order to be mad at you!" Maxie took the blouse and put it on. "You know what, you're right. I really like how this outfit looks."  
  
Georgie dug into her pocket and pulled out a little box, "Here."  
  
"What is it?" Maxie wondered.  
  
"They're the earrings that I remember you used to love so much when we were little. You'd always beg mom to let you wear them, but she wouldn't let you. Remember? She'd say 'Not until you're a mature young lady, Maxie.' I think she'd agree that you're a mature young lady now."  
  
"It was the only time I ever heard her say something that was even somewhat motherly. I always remember thinking that it was just some act that she put. She'd say it in a British accent and try to make it sound like it was the funniest thing in the world."  
  
"I always thought it was pretty funny."  
  
"I didn't." Maxie put the earrings on, but she took them off the second she saw them on her ears. "I can't wear these. They... remind me too much of her."  
  
"I thought... you'd like it. That's why I spent an hour looking through all the stuff she left here when she went to Texas for them." Georgie was dejected, and she didn't even attempt to hide it. She wanted to do something special for her sister, and she had failed.  
  
"I appreciate the sentiment, Georgie. I really do. But I'm not a little girl anymore. I don't see mommy as the saintly figure that I once did. I see her flaws. How could I not?"  
  
"You sure you're going to be all right?" Georgie asked, again changing the focus off of her mother. She would always do that. "I have to work tonight so I can't be home when you get back. What are you going to do if Mac's home when you get back?"  
  
"By then we'll already be done with the night and Mac can't take away what already happened," Maxie said. She didn't want to fight with her father so much over something like this. But if Mac insisted on trying to keep her away from Damian, then she would fight him, and she wouldn't give up until she got what she wanted.  
  
"How much time till he comes to get you?" Georgie wondered.  
  
"A few hours."  
  
"Why isn't he picking you up in a car?"  
  
"He doesn't have a car, Georgie!" Maxie pointed out. "He lived in Los Angeles before he came here and he came by plane."  
  
"He could have borrowed Sonny's. Hell, he probably could have asked Sonny to buy him a new car. We both know that Sonny has enough money to do it."  
  
"Damian doesn't care about Sonny's money or his power."  
  
"You sure?" Georgie cocked an eyebrow.  
  
"I'm positive! Sonny could offer Damian the world and Damian would just want to spend time with the people that he cared about."  
  
"He's a lot different than the other people you've cared about," Georgie mused.  
  
"So much different," Maxie agreed as she moved to her dresser to continue the long and drawn out process that would end with her being prepared for her date.  
  
Outside Kelly's-  
  
Dillon waited on one of the tables that had been placed outside the restaurant. Damian had called him and asked him to meet up. Dillon knew what it was about, he knew the feeling as well. Those Jones girls, they had a way of making the men that fell for them the most insecure people on the planet. It'd be cute, if it wasn't so annoying.  
  
"Thanks for coming."  
  
"Yeah, sure," Dillon hadn't even turned around yet, but when he did he whistled. Damian would have impressed the Quatermaine's with his outfit, and that was saying something. It wasn't a tuxedo, but it was still impressive. An ash grey buttoned shirt that shimmered in the light and some slacks, accompanied by some fancy dress shoes. "You went all out, didn't you?"  
  
"It was my dad's idea," Damian admitted. "You don't think it's too much?"  
  
"You don't have a tie, so it's not too much."  
  
"You think she'll like it?"  
  
"If I weren't straight and a guy, I'd be all over you right now," Dillon joked.  
  
Damian gave Dillon a strange look, "I'm going to take that as a compliment and then wipe it from my mind."  
  
"It would probably be better that way."  
  
Damian nodded, "Yeah, probably."  
  
"What's the plan?" Dillon inquired. "What do you got in store for the lovely Miss Jones?"  
  
"You'll just have to wait until tomorrow to find out, Dillon." Damian sighed, "I should probably get going..."  
  
"You've still got plenty of time before you told Maxie to be ready, don't you?"  
  
"Yeah, but I'm giving myself plenty of time because I'm going to spend half of that time wondering if I'm doing the right thing and panicking about something going wrong."  
  
Dillon grinned, "Nervous?"  
  
"Weren't you?"  
  
"Yeah... I guess I was. Call after in case you want to gloat to someone, or need me to talk you down from jumping off a bridge."  
  
"Never let it be said that you have excellent tact, Dillon."  
  
The grin widened on Dillon, "What can I say? I am a Quatermaine, after all." With a shallow wave, the two men parted ways. Dillon stopped himself as he walked away, "Good luck, Damian. Let's hope you don't need it." Damian, Dillon was well aware, could do many things without missing a beat. But he'd never been in love before. No matter how smart people thought he was, there was something about love that made it impossible to actually be educated in. Damian was smart, but he wasn't that smart.  
  
134 


	79. Promise To Try

Note: The Date lies herein...  
  
Story-  
  
Scorpio Household-  
  
The sun was setting over the skies of Port Charles as Damian finally made it to the front door of Maxie's home. He knew for a fact that Mac was not at home. He and the others had devised a plan that if he did come home they would all contact one another and find a way to meet elsewhere. Damian had gotten no phone call, so all was apparently safe in the world. Unless Mac had somehow gotten in the know. In which case, they were probably all extremely screwed. Damian gulped at the thought of dealing with Mac again. It was never much fun, but today it would probably be the worst. He summoned up every last bit of willpower that he had and knocked on the door. It wasn't long before Georgie opened the door, her smile showing. "What?" Damian asked, somehow taking alarm at Georgie's smile. "Is there something on my face?"  
  
"I'm just happy for both of you, that's all."  
  
Damian blushed at his misconception, "Sorry, Georgie. I'm just a tad bit scared about everything."  
  
"You're not the only one," She said. "I had to spend a good amount of time convincing Maxie that you weren't going to stand her up."  
  
"I'd never do that."  
  
"I know that, you know that, and somewhere deep inside, Maxie knows that as well. But let me tell you, it wasn't easy convincing her of the same thing."  
  
"Where is she?" Damian eyed the surrounding area and saw nothing. "She's ready, isn't she?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm ready." Maxie walked down the stairs. She was dressed to perfection, which, given the countless hours that she and Georgie had spent on getting ready, was the only way that it could have been.  
  
Damian gawked for a moment before closing his mouth and keeping himself relatively contained. "You... look great."  
  
"I bet you say that to all the girls you take out."  
  
"Yeah, I do," Damian admitted. "Of course you're the only one, so there really isn't much to compare to."  
  
Maxie smiled. It was a corny line, but it worked. On her, it worked. "Have fun at work, Georgie."  
  
"Not as much fun as I'm sure you're going to have, big sister," Georgie grinned. "Bye, Damian."  
  
"Bye."  
  
Georgie waited for them both to be out of the house before she closed the door behind them and walked up the stairs to get ready for her shift.  
  
Fancy Port Charles Restaurant (I have no idea what it would be called, so just enter random name here, they have to have one, right?)  
  
They engaged in small talk as they walked back into the heart of Port Charles. It was a small town, but there were still impressive places for people to eat. After all, even the elitist people such as the Quatermaine's and Jasper Jacks wanted to eat out at a place where they had a certain ambiance around them. Normally, Damian would never be caught dead in such a place. But he wanted to make the night special for Maxie. That meant tossing out some of his reservations. It did meet his criteria, though. There would be nothing illegal going on during the night.  
  
Damian led Maxie in by the hand. Her eyes were closed. He wanted it to be a surprise. She had tried to get some information out of him on the way, but he wasn't talking. She was a bit sad about his resistance to telling her anything, but there was probably a good reason that he was being so secretive.  
  
"You can open your eyes now, Maxie," Damian said.  
  
Maxie did as she was told and looked around, shocked. The area was dimly lit and there was no one around her. She knew the place, though. Everyone in Port Charles knew of this place. It was one of the most expensive places in the town to eat. People actually came from big cities like New York just to eat in such a place. She also knew one thing, "I'm so underdressed!"  
  
Damian smiled, "Look around you, Maxie. There's no one else here. And there is no one else that is going to be here for the rest of the night. It's just the two of us."  
  
"Damian, this is too much!" Maxie continued to look around the room. There was a single table in the center with a bouquet of roses placed next to one of the chairs. "How did you manage to do this?"  
  
"I got some help from my father. He pulled some strings and got the owner to close the place down for everyone but us."  
  
"Some strings?"  
  
"It's better that we don't ask," Damian admitted. "I wanted to make this night special for you, Maxie."  
  
"You did. It's just... this is so much. I didn't even think I'd ever be in a place like this. People are on the waiting list for months..."  
  
"None of that matters," Damian stated as he gently grabbed Maxie's hand and led her to her seat. "This is your night, don't worry about anyone else." He pulled the seat out and she sat in it. He picked up the roses and handed them to her, "These are for you."  
  
"They're beautiful."  
  
"I'd come up with some incredibly stupid sounding one liner about how they pale next to you, but I don't think either of us really wants that."  
  
She agreed completely, "I couldn't see you doing something like that."  
  
"Good, because neither could I." Damian walked away from Maxie.  
  
"Aren't you going to sit down?" She called out to him.  
  
"Not yet, there's something else that I want to do for you. Hold on."  
  
A minute passed and some music began to play. But it wasn't over the sound system. It sounded like something that was a few feet away from her, but she couldn't see anything. Whatever it was, it was pretty.  
  
Little girl, don't you forget her face Laughing away your tears When she was the one who felt all the pain  
  
As the woman who was singing came over the sound system Maxie still felt that the actual music wasn't. A dim light turned on a few yards away and she looked over at the white grand piano. Damian was looking at her, smiling.  
  
Little girl, never forget her eyes Keep them alive inside Promise to try- but it's not the same  
  
It took her a minute to register that he was playing the piano... that he was playing it for her.  
  
Keep your head held high- ride like the wind Never look behind, life isn't fair That's what you said, so I try not to care  
  
Little girl, don't run away so fast I think you forgot to kiss- kiss her goodbye  
  
Maxie got out of her seat and walked over, tears welling up in her eyes.  
  
Will she see me cry when I stumble and fall Does she hear my voice in the night when I call Wipe away all your tears, it's gonna be all right  
  
"I didn't know you played the piano," Maxie said, almost breathless.  
  
"I don't do it very often, not anymore," There was a tinge of sadness in Damian's voice. He was trying to remain happy for her. But there was something he was holding back. Something that hurt him very much. Was it the song?  
  
I fought to be so strong, I guess you know I was afraid you'd go away, too  
  
Little girl, you've got to forget the past And learn to forgive me I promise to try- but it feels like a lie  
  
Don't let memory play games with your mind She's a faded smile frozen in time I'm still hanging on- but I'm doing it wrong Can't kiss her goodbye- but I promise to try  
  
The song ended and Damian sat there in the seat. He still had that warm smile, but Maxie wasn't buying it, not entirely. "Damian, what is it?"  
  
"Did you like it?"  
  
She nodded, "It was beautiful. But there's something you're hiding from me. Please, tell me."  
  
"My... mother used to love that song," He said softly. "I love it, too, but every time I hear it... it's just hard."  
  
She sat on the bench with him, "Why didn't you tell me that you could play the piano? That's so neat."  
  
"I stopped playing after she died, Maxie. It was something I did when she was alive, but after she died it just became too painful."  
  
"Why did you do it for me?" Maxie grabbed his hand and clutched it tightly.  
  
"Because I always play the piano for the most important person in my life. It used to be her, but now it's you. I wanted to make this night special for you."  
  
She leaned on his chest, "You did make it special. I'll never forget this night as long as I live."  
  
Damian kissed her forehead as she leaned in on him, "I love you, Maxie."  
  
"Could you play it again?" She asked.  
  
"I could play it all night long, if that's what you wanted," Damian put his fingers on the keys and started again.  
  
Later that night, Scorpio Household-  
  
They spent a long time just listening to Damian play the piano. He seemed to be as surprised by his ability to play as she was. It got easier for him as time went on. She was happy that he was adjusting to the situation better. She was also very touched that he had said that she was the most important person in his life. No one had ever told her that before. Even if they had, she might not have believed it. With Damian, though, she did.  
  
They ate some extremely overpriced and underprovided food that had names that neither of them could pronounce very effectively. It was very tasteful, though. And some of it was interesting. The bill had been taken care of and they left the place with smiles on their face. For their reasons, some the same, some very different, they would never forget the night that they shared together.  
  
He kissed her goodnight at the door and left after spending a few moments just looking into her eyes, staring at them longingly. He kept his distance though. Mac could be around, and his mere presence would be enough to set Maxie's dad off.  
  
Maxie walked into the living room and started a fire in the fireplace. She held the bouquet of roses in her hands and lost herself in her memories. The song was 'Promise to Try.' She'd never heard it before, but she'd never forget it after that night.  
  
Mac came in later that night. Georgie still had not finished her shift yet. He saw that someone had the fire going and he walked over, smiling as he saw his daughter had fallen asleep. He saw the roses in her arms and frowned. There was no doubt in his mind who they were from. He would talk about it with Maxie the next day. She looked too peaceful. For now, she could sleep.  
  
The phone to the house rang. Mac walked over and picked it up, "Hello? Oh, hi. No, it's not too late." Mac sounded cheery, but the cheer quickly vanished, "What? Is she okay? Thank you. Goodbye." Mac's face turned a pale white...  
  
139  
  
For those that wish to know and don't, the song was 'Promise to Try' by Madonna. It was used without her consent or knowledge. You know, all that disclaimer stuff. Although, really, if she sued me that would be pretty bad... 


	80. Daughters

Shamira- You're right, all plotting MUST be devilish. It's a rule of some kind. You're also right about the whole checking my notes thing. I thought about it, but you gave me the answer that I was looking for, so... Yeah, Max had his moment. Max fans of the world (all three of you) don't be looking for anything big with him again. As for Damian, he's not really OF this world, but he likes it. I'd take your piano lessons, but you've got a smidge more training than I do, so it wouldn't be fair to me. I'm good with the unneeded filler materials, what can I say? At least you liked it. I know how much you often dislike the whole long paragraph thingies. Sorry about the lack of Lorenzo to bash. Alas, I can't put the man in there EVERY chapter to just give you reason to vent. I mean, I could, but it wouldn't be fair to everyone else. Damian is smart, but very unlearned in the ways of life. He knows a lot of things about human nature, but he's rarely actually gone through the things that he knows. For your information, I love essays! LOVE THEM!! I'd rather do an essay than a test any day of the week. But that's how most of us English majors work. And I thought that the final moment would be something that would give people a laugh. Looks like I was right. I like it when I'm right.  
  
Football is the devil. Had Janet not been a part of that event I would have avoided it like the plague it was. It was a very good thing that she was there, though. Heh, heh, heh. I think having a conversation with Edward would be fun. Actually, when it comes to Edward you don't get much conversation going, you get Edward telling you how Edward wants you to do things. I haven't seen Luke next to the new Edward, no. I miss John Engle already *sniff*. Talking to Mac seems like something that should happen, but might not ever happen. Stupid Mac. Damian and Maxie are lucky to have each other, both for their own reasons. Almost like it was planned. Oh, wait, it was... Funny thing about Dillon, at first I HATED him. Damned teenagers, get off my soap. But you're right. He's the best. Easily my favorite character. My love for him is so great. I'd go up to Scott Clifton and profess my love if it weren't so strange. I do ponder asking my parents to give me the cash for Super Soap Weekend in Disneyland, since it's only a few hours away as a birthday present. Alas, perhaps some other time.  
  
Fanfiction.net is the devil, there is no way around it. I've dealt with this demon for two years now and it has ALWAYS been problematic. You'd think that after 2 damned years it would have fixed the bugs. Nope. No such luck. Idiots. I swear I never wanted it to get this high. Now I'm telling myself, "Just don't let it hit 200 chapters, Set... just don't let it hit 200..." What can I say, though? I love to write. I love writing this story, so it keeps me going. I love Faith as well. Some people don't think she's all that developed of a character, and while part of that is true I don't give a shit because she's DAMNED funny. Every time she's on the screen I either bust up laughing or at least snicker. I'll be so sad when she leaves the show. So sad. I could go up to Cynthia and profess my love for her. That wouldn't be as strange. Maybe give her the message to pass to Scott. Yes... this could work. Luke's quips were quite amusing as well. I think Faith is just fooling herself about Ric. Or at least hiding it really well and waiting to strike. The latter is more probable. Carly finds joy in the strangest things, doesn't she? As said before, Mac's just acting in what he feels is the best interest of his daughters. I might not support how he thinks, but I understand how he gets there. With Maxie in the hands of the Widow and said Widow fast approaching California... what's gonna happen? Guess you'll have to read.  
  
Story-  
  
Mac was speechless. The phone call he had just received did not hold good information for him, and he had to let Maxie know. He wanted to let her sleep, but getting her up and informing her of what he had just learned was much more important than giving her a peaceful slumber. "Maxie..." His voice was soft, as if he had trouble saying the name himself. She obviously did not hear him. She made no motion towards awaking. Mac shook her gently, "Maxie... wake up."  
  
Maxie stirred when she felt Mac shaking her. Her eyes opened slowly, there was a smile on her face. When she saw that it was Mac the smile quickly vanished. She felt the roses in her arms and panicked a little. Did he know? "Dad?"  
  
Mac's eyes stared into hers. "I just got a phone call..."  
  
"And?"  
  
"Umm... this isn't easy, Maxie."  
  
Maxie put the flowers down on the couch. She was worried. Her father was rarely at a loss for words. If anything, Mac often found a way to be too wordy about things. She knew that when Mac couldn't talk about something with relative ease that it wasn't exactly going to be something that she wanted to hear. More often than not it was something that she needed to hear, though. Her mind instantly flashed to Georgie. "Oh my God, what happened to Georgie? Is she all right??" Maxie knew that if anything could get Mac to look like that, it would be something happening to Georgie. Nothing else could affect him like that, not that she knew of.  
  
Mac shook his head, "Nothing's wrong with Georgie. But... Felicia... your mother... she had an accident. She was riding a horse and she fell off."  
  
"Oh," Maxie felt her worries leave her.  
  
"She's in the hospital, Maxie. She's stable, but she was still hurt pretty badly."  
  
"As long as she's alive that's all that matters, right?" Maxie wondered.  
  
"I suppose," Mac said softly. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Why wouldn't I be?" Maxie asked.  
  
"She's your mother, Maxie. She was in a very bad accident, it could have been fatal. You don't have to try and act strong around me."  
  
"I'm not acting, dad," Maxie pointed out. "She's alive."  
  
"That could change," Mac said.  
  
"Mom won't die," Maxie retorted. "She's still got so many adventures that she needs to go on with various people and neglect her family. You think she's going to just stop being the person that she is? She'll find a way to recover soon enough."  
  
"You should go see her," Mac said. "Show her that you're happy that she's okay."  
  
Maxie shook her head, "I don't want to go see her."  
  
"She might want to see you..."  
  
"Then she can come back to Port Charles and see me!" Maxie shouted. "I've never been the one to leave and trek around the country and the world while I left her wondering why she wasn't important enough to be around me! I've always been here. What's stopping her from coming back once she recovers aside from that pathological fear that she has about actually being a mother to me and my little sister? She comes up with excuses for her being gone and constantly comes back with false promises about how this time she's going to stay a lot longer. I've had more than enough of my mother's lies, dad! She's never been here for me when I needed her, so why should I be there for her when she thinks that she needs me?"  
  
"You don't mean that," Mac said. "You can't mean that."  
  
"I can't?" Maxie snickered softly. "I've never been so serious about anything before in my life!"  
  
"Maxie! If it were you, Felicia would come!"  
  
Maxie got off the couch and started to walk away, "The worst part about that sentence, dad, is that you actually believe it."  
  
"Where are you going?" Mac asked.  
  
"I'm going to tell my little sister what you told me. I might not care much for my mother, but Georgie does, and she deserves to know."  
  
"I really think you should go see her, Maxie," Mac was trying his hardest to persuade his daughter into visiting her mother. He understood all too well that Maxie was sick of Felicia's constant record of abandoning her children. It had been that way since they were little. But that didn't mean for one second that Mac didn't believe that Felicia loved both of her girls. He knew that she did. While he wished that Felicia had a better way of showing it, that didn't chance that the love was there. Maxie obviously couldn't see it... or was just blinding herself to it.  
  
"I can't go see my mother in Texas and look at her hooked up to a bunch of machines that are keeping her alive! I can't pretend that I care that she gets better, because it doesn't matter to me what happens to her, dad. She's either going to get better and stay out of my life or she's not going to be better and stay out of my life. I've found a way to live without my mother around me, I'm not about to try and forget everything only to be hurt and have to go through the depression again." She opened the door and grabbed her coat, "I'm sorry that I can't be the daughter that you want me to be, dad. A part of me wishes that I could go over there and tell her that I'm so happy that she's all right and that I love her, but the bigger part of me knows that it would just be a lie like the ones that she fed me as a child."  
  
Maxie left the home with a stunned Mac staring at the now closed door. "Oh, Maxie... I wish you could be the daughter I want you to be, too."  
  
General Hospital-  
  
"How do you think it went?" Georgie asked Dillon, who was with her at the Nurses Station. Even though he wasn't sick and none of the others were either, he still stayed around the Hospital a lot. It would be morbid, but he was always around when Georgie was there. He would help her when everything appeared to be too much, which it often did in the hospital. Dillon would be just as impacted with the severity of the situation, but he would somehow manage to keep Georgie smiling. He kept her happy.  
  
"How many times have you asked me that same question since I got here?" Dillon grinned at Georgie. He understood how she felt, although he certainly never had the same feelings. He and Ned weren't exactly all that close. There was the age difference, but there was more than that to boot. Ned and Dillon were different people. Ned wanted what the other Quatermaine's wanted. They had sucked out the part of him that was original, they'd taken away his musical love, and now he was busy just being another Quatermaine drone. Dillon wouldn't ever let that happen to him. He had vision. He saw the world in his own way, and he wouldn't lose it for anyone. Not even his family. He gazed at Georgie. Maybe he'd lose it for someone... but she'd never ask him to. "My answer's still the same, you know. I'm sure everything went fine. One of them would have called one of us to vent about it if something had gone wrong."  
  
"He looked really nice," Georgie said softly.  
  
"Yes, he did."  
  
"You never dressed up like that for me," She smirked.  
  
"I rented a tuxedo for you that time we almost set the hotel on fire!" Dillon laughed. "Don't you remember?"  
  
"How could I forget? It would have been so romantic if everything didn't blow up in our faces."  
  
"I thought it was still plenty romantic," Dillon kissed her gently on the lips. "You know that it's just one of the stories that we'll be telling our kids and grandkids about when we're old."  
  
"How many stories do we have?" She thought about the number herself. There were so many. They all held such special places in her heart.  
  
"Not enough," Dillon grinned. "We've still got plenty of time to make so many more."  
  
"Georgie..."  
  
Dillon and Georgie turned around and saw Maxie standing in front of them. Georgie smiled, "How did everything go?"  
  
"Fine," Maxie said, knowing what she was talking about.  
  
"Fine?" Georgie was shocked that all she could come up with was fine. She knew how much her sister loved Damian, and she was certainly expecting something a whole lot more in depth than 'fine.' "Come on, Maxie, you've got to have more than that!"  
  
"It's not important," Maxie said.  
  
That almost knocked Georgie over, "Maxie? Is everything okay?"  
  
She shook her head, "No... everything isn't okay. Georgie, you need to be strong right now, okay?"  
  
Georgie's face turned somber. Something was wrong. "What is it?"  
  
"Mom's in the hospital."  
  
Georgie gasped, "How?"  
  
"She had a horse riding accident earlier today. Dad got the call a little while ago. She's stable, but it apparently messed her up pretty badly. I wanted to be the one to tell you."  
  
"Mom..." Georgie muttered. Dillon automatically placed his arms around his girlfriend, giving her the support that she needed.  
  
"Dad thinks that we should go see her..." Maxie admitted softly. "I won't go."  
  
Georgie eyed her sister, "What? Maxie, our mother's in the hospital."  
  
"She's fine, Georgie."  
  
"How can you say that? If she was fine she wouldn't be in the hospital! We have to go!"  
  
"I'm not going," Maxie stated firmly. "I've got no reason to go."  
  
Georgie pushed away from Dillon, "Maxie, I know you don't care about our mother very much, but she's our mother! I try and support the differences that you have with her, but I don't think I can do that right now!"  
  
"What are you saying, Georgie?"  
  
"You're acting like a heartless, spoiled brat!" Georgie almost yelled at her sister. "I'm so disappointed in you right now."  
  
"I'm sorry that I can't be like you, Georgie. I'm sorry that I can't forgive everything that's happened to me because of our mother at the drop of a hat. I can't be a saintly figure like you, and there's nothing I can do about it! If that makes me a bad person, then fine..." Maxie tried to show her sister that her words didn't cut to her heart, but Georgie knew they did. Maxie walked away.  
  
"Maxie... wait..."  
  
Maxie paid her sister no heed. She was in the elevator, and she was gone.  
  
"Mom..." A few tears ran down Georgie's face as she thought of her mother.  
  
Dillon again hugged his girlfriend, "Everything will be fine, I promise."  
  
Georgie shook her head, "When it comes to my mother, nothing's ever fine. I thought Maxie would care about her enough to want to see her if she was in the hospital. Dillon, I'm so afraid right now."  
  
"Maybe you should go home, I'm sure they'll understand."  
  
Georgie shook her head, "No, I can keep working. I need to keep active. Get my mind off of my sister and my mother. But... I hate to ask you this. Could you leave me alone? If I know you're here I'm just going to want to cry on your shoulder."  
  
"I'd let you cry on my shoulder anytime, Georgie. You know that."  
  
She nodded, "I know, but I don't want to be crying on anyone's shoulder right now, Dillon. Please."  
  
"If you need anything... anything at all."  
  
She put on a brave smile, knowing that Dillon wouldn't buy it but giving it her all anyway. "I'll call. Promise."  
  
Dillon hugged her before he left.  
  
When Georgie was at last alone she placed her head on the desk and sobbed, "Mommy..."  
  
144 


	81. Nightmares

Corinthos Household-  
  
The date had officially been over with for some time, but Damian hadn't returned home until that moment. He had spent most of the time between taking Maxie home and returning to his father's home just taking stock of his life. If someone would have told him a year prior, even a few months prior to his arrival in Port Charles everything that had already happened in the sleepy town, Damian would have scoffed and brushed it off. But he wasn't that person anymore. He thought he was better, less judgmental of people. He owed all the things that had happened to him to the various people in Port Charles that made them happen. It was amazing to him when he thought about how much he had changed.  
  
He tried to be as quiet as possible when he closed the door. Michael and Morgan should have been asleep, and waking either of them up, or both of them, would do nobody any good.  
  
It didn't matter how lightly Damian shut the door, someone was waiting for anyone to open it. "Daddy! Mommy!"  
  
Michael's voice which was drastically different from the cheerful voice that Damian was accustomed to caught Damian's attention. Damian stopped and saw the boy darting down the stairs in his pajamas. "Michael, what is it?"  
  
"I thought mommy and daddy were home," Michael said sadly.  
  
"Where are they?" Damian asked.  
  
"I don't know," Michael admitted. "They probably went to do something together."  
  
Perhaps helping Damian plan a romantic evening for himself and Maxie had given Sonny ideas of his own. It was a thought, but until Damian knew for sure, that was all it would be. "What's wrong? Why are you up so late?"  
  
"I had a bad dream..." Michael seemed ashamed of himself. "Mommy and daddy always make me feel better after I have a bad dream."  
  
"Where's Leticia?" Damian would have thought that Michael would go to his nanny. They had a good relationship, and Leticia cared for both of the boys deeply. She could have helped Michael.  
  
"Upstairs with Morgan."  
  
"How come you didn't go to her for help with your bad dream, Michael?"  
  
"She doesn't make the bad dreams go away!" Michael sat on the edge of the stairs. "Only mommy or daddy can do that!"  
  
"Want me to give it a try?" Damian walked over to Michael. He wouldn't actually pry into his little brother's life if Michael didn't want it, but he would make the offer nonetheless.  
  
"You're not mommy or daddy," Michael noted.  
  
"I know, but I'm better than nothing, aren't I?"  
  
"I can't talk to you about it..." Michael muttered.  
  
"Why not?" Damian was actually quite hurt that his little brother didn't trust him enough to feel open about a problem he was having. He thought that they were closer than that.  
  
"Because you'll make fun of me," Michael looked up at his brother. "You'll think I'm just a little kid."  
  
Damian put his hand out, "Come here, let's sit on the couch." Damian led his brother over to the couch and sat him down. "I would never make fun of you, Michael. Never."  
  
"You never have bad dreams," Michael stated. "You're not afraid of anything!"  
  
Damian would have enjoyed the ego boost that Michael was attempting to give him, but he knew that it was all a lie. He gave Michael a soft smile, "I still have bad dreams, Michael. Everyone does. They're a part of life and you'll never get over them. Having a bad dream doesn't make you a little kid, and it doesn't make you any less brave than you already are."  
  
Michael didn't entirely believe the information that had been fed to him. "Daddy and Uncle Jason never have bad dreams!"  
  
"Are you sure?" Damian asked.  
  
Michael couldn't give Damian an answer, because he didn't have one. To him, his daddy and Uncle Jason were the two strongest men in the world, they never let anything scare them or give them bad dreams! Michael wanted to be just like them. But he also wanted to be like Damian. He could sense something different about his older brother. Something that Sonny and Jason didn't have. He liked that feeling, even though he couldn't really understand what it was. "You really still have bad dreams?"  
  
"Yes, I do."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"About a lot of things," Damian turned his head away. "About my mother and how I couldn't do anything for her. About Kyle before..." He stopped himself, he wasn't going to tell Michael the details about drug overdose, he wouldn't cross that line yet. He hoped he would never have to cross it. "I had a lot of nightmares about you, too."  
  
"Why me?"  
  
"Because I was afraid that you'd never get better when you lost your voice. I was afraid that I'd never get to hear your voice again. I was afraid that you were in that hospital because of me. I still have bad dreams about those days you were over there, Michael. When we fall asleep our minds don't stop thinking, and what they're telling is what we see in our dreams. Sometimes they can be good things, but they can be bad, too. You don't have to worry, though. It's only a dream. A dream can never hurt you."  
  
"Never ever?" Michael inquired.  
  
"Not as long as you don't let it hurt you. If you let it do something to you after you wake up it can, but if you realize that it was all just a bad thought that your mind had, everything will be okay."  
  
"It was still really scary," Michael crossed his legs on the couch. "Daddy didn't believe the bad man when he said that you were in trouble and you got really hurt! No one believed the bad man, and no one saw that you were right there. I tried to tell them, but they wouldn't listen. When I tried to tell you I was sorry... you were gone."  
  
"I'm right here, Michael," Damian was alarmed that the poor boy had received such a nightmare. Even more alarming was the fact that it was very much like the one that Maxie had. Why was it that everyone close to him was having these visions of his untimely demise?  
  
"But you won't always be," Michael stated. "You might go away again, like the last time."  
  
"You're really afraid that I'm going to leave you again, aren't you?"  
  
Michael nodded, "I don't like it when you're gone. I know you have to go to school and you like to spend time with Maxie, but you at least came back home to be with me and Morgan and daddy." Michael was very wise to leave his mother out of that equation. He knew that they didn't get along. "When you stopped coming back, when you moved out... I was sad and scared."  
  
"I made a mistake," Damian said. "I didn't think about everything like I should have and acted on my instinct. If I could go back and do it all over again I wouldn't have left the first time, but I'm here now, and I don't intend on going anywhere."  
  
"Promise?"  
  
Damian grinned. Something about that boy made him grin almost all the time, "Promise." Even if he were still mad at Sonny, he'd never stop being anything but the best person he could be around Michael. It was so hard to keep that innocence that Michael had inside of him, especially with all the things that happened around him that could take that innocence away. "You think you can go back to bed now?"  
  
"If you read me a story."  
  
"You drive a hard bargain, kid. But, I could go for a story myself."  
  
"Nothing with kissing!"  
  
"You do realize that you've just gotten rid of most of the stories that I could tell you, right?"  
  
"I only got rid of the bad ones," Michael stated confidently. "The bad ones always have kissing."  
  
Damian picked Michael up in his arms and walked up the stairs, "One day you're going to be in love and you're going to kiss some lucky girl."  
  
"I don't like girls, they have cooties."  
  
General Hospital-  
  
Georgie had been working frantically for the better part of an hour. She only broke down and cried about her mother a scant few times. The others tried to convince her to leave, even Bobbie, but she wasn't going anywhere. She needed to spend as much time away from the situation as possible. It was the only way that she could possibly function. She didn't want to go back to the house when her shift ended, which was coming closer with every passing moment. But there was nowhere else for her to go. Mac wouldn't appreciate if she went to sleep at the Quatermaine mansion, and neither would any of Dillon's family. She didn't have enough money to rent a room at the hotel, and she wouldn't use the credit card. She was stuck dealing with a problem that she wanted nothing more than to just have it go away.  
  
"Georgie?"  
  
Georgie almost jumped when she heard her name called. She dropped the files that she was holding all over the ground. She knelt down and started to pick them up, "I'm so sorry, I should have been paying attention!"  
  
Bobbie smiled softly as she helped Georgie gather the files. There was a time, a short time, when Bobbie was Georgie's aunt by marriage. Although that had long since dissolved, they still cared very much about one another, and Bobbie hated it when she or Maxie were hurt. Ever the protector, Bobbie would try and help Georgie and anyone else that needed it. "You really should go home. If you'd like, I could have someone escort you."  
  
Georgie shook her head, "That's okay, Bobbie. Thank you, though."  
  
"Felicia's strong, Georgie. It would take a whole lot more than a spill on a horse to take her out."  
  
Georgie laughed, "Yeah, my mom's a fighter, that's for sure. Thanks again." Georgie's phone went off and she picked it up. It read home. Although she hated the idea of picking up the phone, she knew that she had to, "Daddy?"  
  
"Georgie?" Mac said on the other side of the phone, "Is Maxie with you?"  
  
"No, I haven't seen her for an hour," Georgie said. "I would have thought that she would have went home after she told me about mom."  
  
"She hasn't been home, I've been watching the front door," Mac looked and saw that it was still closed. "I tried calling her phone to make sure that everything was okay, but she's not answering it."  
  
"So you don't know where she is?" Georgie bit her nail.  
  
"I was really hoping that she was still with you," Mac ran a hand through his hair. He hated it when he didn't know where his daughters were. The last time Maxie went missing she almost ended up dead. He wasn't going to have that again. "Are you sure she left the hospital?"  
  
"I saw her leave through the elevator, dad! She's not here!"  
  
"I'm going to start looking around for her. Please, Georgie, if you know anything at all, call me!"  
  
"I don't know where she could be, dad."  
  
"We don't need to worry yet, she's probably just blowing off some steam," Mac lied to himself. It was the only way he could function at that moment. "I'll stay in touch." He hung up his phone and headed out the door.  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
Damian walked down the stairs once more. They had settled on an abridged version of Snow White, entirely devoid of kissing. It made the final scene a little bit out of character for the classic fairy tale, but Michael was actually asleep by that time so everything appeared to be fine. His phone rang and he picked it up, "Hello?"  
  
"Damian? It's Georgie. Is Maxie with you?"  
  
"No, I took her home and I haven't seen her since."  
  
"We don't know where she is."  
  
"Where are you?" Damian asked.  
  
"The Hospital."  
  
"Don't leave."  
  
149 


	82. Heart

Joy- Hope you had fun in Mexico. And I REALLY hope you didn't drink the water. But, since you're well enough to review I think it is a very safe assumption that you didn't drink the water. I am also happy that you have been enjoying the twists and turns of my mellow drama. Damian and Sonny's path towards a much more permanent relationship as father/son will be a long one, but at least it looks like it can happen now whereas before it was something that seemed an almost impossibility, right? As for Ric, yeah. I really just wanted SOMEONE to call him 'Uncle Ric' because I like Ric a lot and think he deserves a small amount of recognition for being Sonny's brother. When the show won't do something for you... write a fanfic and do it yourself! I liked the date a lot. It was funny because earlier they were like 'when we do go out we won't do anything over the top,' but they had been through so much that I felt they deserved something private and pretty. Damian's piano playing was planned from the beginning. I knew when they actually DID go out, he'd play the piano. I'm so devious, ain't I? Yes, another cliffhanger. Soaps have them all the time, so it would be more appropriate for soap fiction to have them as well, wouldn't it? Let's see if you were right...  
  
Which you were. Did I make it too obvious that it wasn't going to be who it wasn't and it was who it was? Did that even make sense? I think I laid enough foreshadowing with the previous chapters (even from the very start, like in the first 10 chapters) that something was going to happen. For the record this twist in the story was planned long before Felicia's return was even announced. So let me state that I had the idea and am in no way trying to pay off on her return to the show. I actually have watched like one episode with her in it, and I have no real idea how to write her. So she will probably never be in the story except as an off camera character. One of the only things I know about her is the fact that she's almost never there for her kids, which saddens me as a person but I realize it's a soap and such things should happen on a soap. Which would explain Mac and Georgie's reaction. Real people probably wouldn't react that harshly, but in Port Charles... they don't act very rational. Ever. For the record I don't even know how it will work out yet. I'm not that far ahead in the writing. I'm glad that you actually missed Damian, it shows how fond people are of him. I know people like him and all, but I still sometimes feel bad for forcing him on my readers.  
  
Story-  
  
Elsewhere, Port Charles-  
  
Maxie staggered along, alone in the night. She had done it many times before, she knew Port Charles very well. With the exception of a few times, the town had always been her home. Those exceptions came when she decided to give her mother another chance and try to rebuild, or rather actually being to build, the relationship that Felicia claimed she always wanted. Felicia threw that chance away almost as soon as Maxie had granted it to her, and she never truly forgave her mother for it. She could attempt to fool herself into thinking that things would be different, but her mother always had a way of making sure that no matter how hard Maxie tried to forget she would always be forced to remember. She had her heart stomped on by so many people in her life. Worst of all was the fact that her mother was the person at the top of that list, and the one who had done it the most frequently. She was supposed to protect Maxie's heart, not break it.  
  
Her heart...  
  
The tears flowed down Maxie's face. She knew where she was going to go.  
  
General Hospital-  
  
Although Georgie's shift had ended as a candy-stripper at the hospital, she was still there. Damian had requested that she stay there, and she would heed his request. She didn't know why she called him. She liked Damian, she knew that he was a good person for her older sister, but she wasn't entirely sure that she trusted him enough to do something like look for her sister. It was too late to take that back now, though. She made the call, it was her decision. Besides, more than likely he would be of some help, and she couldn't expect him to come to the house. Mac would be even more irate than normal if Damian had been a part of the 'search party.' Georgie would deal with that in due time. All she really wanted was to know that Maxie was okay. She'd do whatever it took to get her sister back. If that meant making a deal with people like Sonny Corinthos and Lorenzo Alcazar then so be it! She wasn't quite ready to go that far, and with Damian around she would at least have a better chance at getting Sonny to help.  
  
Bobbie stood at the Station, as she had done many times in the past and would continue to do in the future. She had seen Georgie grow up from a needy little girl into a self-assured and beautiful young lady. She had the chance to see her own daughter grow up like that taken away from her, so she treasured being able to see Georgie and Lulu grow up in ways that she could only imagine. One thing that never changed about Georgie throughout the years was how much she cared about Maxie. It wasn't something that was strange. It was only natural for them to have a bond. But they had a much stronger bond than most sisters did. It was likely because they had to rely on one another in times that they needed a mother, when Felicia couldn't be there for them. They adjusted well to the situation. Or at least Bobbie had thought so. But there was no question as to why Maxie had gone on her own, it had something to do with Felicia.  
  
The elevator opened and Damian walked into the hallway. Bobbie smiled as she saw her 'step-grandson.' She knew that he had been through a lot in the past few days and actually hadn't seen him since then. She was thankful that he was still alive.  
  
Damian saw Bobbie and walked up, "Hi, Bobbie. Where's Georgie?" It fascinated Damian when he thought about how easily he could talk to Bobbie, despite the fact that she was Carly's biological mother. There was very little to be said about the mother passing on the personality traits to the daughter. Of course, looking at himself, there was very little to be said about the father passing his traits onto the son. Perhaps it was because Carly and Damian had each grown up without that particular birth parent. They had so much in common, yet it seemed as if they were fated to be enemies, perhaps eternally. As long as he had good people in his corner, like Bobbie, he could stand up to Carly as long as needed. It didn't get any easier, though. Bobbie moved her eyes to her side, Damian followed her eyes and saw Georgie sitting on the couch, looking distressed. "Thanks."  
  
As he approached her, Georgie felt nervous. She still didn't know if she had done the right thing. "I shouldn't have called you..."  
  
"Why do you say that?" Damain asked. "Maxie's nowhere to be found and I want to know that she's okay as much as you do!"  
  
"Mac won't like you helping out..."  
  
"I don't care what Mac wants, Georgie!" Damian had to keep his temper in check, but it was hard. He was getting very weary of everyone telling him that Mac didn't approve of him being around Maxie. He was very well aware of that fact. There was no way to avoid it when the point was being driven into his skull every time he turned around. "If he cares about your sister as much as he claims to, he'll take all the help he can get!"  
  
"You don't understand how he works, Damian," Georgie said softly.  
  
"You're right, I don't." Damian forced himself to curb his anger, but it wasn't easy. He was acting more and more like Sonny, which was alarming both him and Georgie. "Tell me what happened, please."  
  
"Our mom... she was in an accident. She's been living with her grandmother in Texas and taking care of her because she can't do a lot of things by herself. I don't really know what happened, Damian. Someone called my dad and told him. He told Maxie, and Maxie came over here to tell me."  
  
"That doesn't explain why she'd take off without telling anyone," Damian knew there was more.  
  
"Maxie and our mother have a very... complicated relationship. Maxie feels abandoned by her because she's always running off from us. I don't disagree with her, but I never thought that she would hate our mother so much that she would just flat out refuse to see her. She wants us to go over there."  
  
"Maxie doesn't want to go?" Damian asked. He was stunned by the revelation as well. He didn't understand how anyone could hate their mother so much. He didn't even hate his for leaving him all those years ago. Hating the woman that was responsible for birth... the very thought sickened him. But he didn't understand everything about the relationship between Felicia and Maxie. Not everyone had as close a relationship with their mother as Damian did.  
  
Georgie's phone rang. It was still in her hand. She looked at the screen and sighed, "It's Mac." She flipped open the cover and spoke, "Hello, dad?"  
  
"I've looked through most of the park and I haven't seen her," Mac said as he continued to walk around at a quickened pace. "Do you think that she could have went to see Damian?"  
  
Georgie looked up at the boy in question, "No, I'm pretty sure that she didn't go to see him."  
  
"How can you be so certain?"  
  
"Because he's standing in front of me, daddy," Georgie said.  
  
"What is he doing there?" Mac's voice was already beginning to sound upset.  
  
"I told him what happened," Georgie winced the moment she delivered the news. She was going to get it. She knew she was going to get it.  
  
"Why would you do something like that?" Mac's voice was so loud that Damian heard it. He sighed. This wasn't the time to do something like argue. "You know I don't want him involved with my daughter, and I certainly don't want him around when I'm busy worrying about Maxie's safety."  
  
"I thought he might know something."  
  
"Then why is he there?" Mac asked. "If you know he doesn't know anything about Maxie, and actually believe him, why bother involving him further?"  
  
"Georgie... give me the phone."  
  
Georgie looked up in horror and shook her head. She covered the receiver, "Don't make this any worse than it already is!"  
  
"The only one making things worse right now is Mac. Please, Georgie, let me talk to him."  
  
Georgie looked to Bobbie for support, but Bobbie only nodded her head. She had a feeling Damian knew what to do. Deep down, so did Georgie. Georgie handed the phone over to Damian, "Try not to get us all in trouble, would you?"  
  
"I can't make any promises..." Damian took a breath. Dealing with Carly was one thing, but dealing with his girlfriend's father was another matter entirely. "Mac?"  
  
Mac knew the voice, "Did you steal my daughter's phone?"  
  
"No, I asked her to give it to me."  
  
"With a gun to her head, I'm assuming."  
  
"Mac, this isn't the time for us to be arguing with each other, you know that. I only want to help."  
  
"You can help by staying the hell away from Maxie!" Mac ordered. "And give the phone back to Georgie."  
  
"Mac, stop acting so selfish. Right now you need to put your daughter's safety in front of your petty desires to keep her away from me!"  
  
"Keeping you away from my daughter is part of me keeping her safe, Damian," Mac pointed out as he searched the park some more. "Give the phone back to Georgie, now!"  
  
"I'm not going anywhere, Mac. I'm going to help find Maxie regardless of if you like it or not. I care about her too much to do nothing. No matter how much you try tell yourself otherwise, I care about her." Damian, angered like never before, handed the phone over to Georgie.  
  
"Daddy?"  
  
"Don't 'daddy' me," Mac muttered. "If I wasn't so worried about Maxie right now I'd be very upset with you, young lady!"  
  
"He only wants to help, dad," Georgie defended Damian.  
  
"I don't want his kind of help! If you find anything, call me," Mac made sure that the 'you' was emphasized. He wasn't about to accept any help from Damian Zuniga.  
  
"I'm sorry," Georgie apologized. "I know how bad he is with people that are trying to get close to either of us. He pushes them away. But when he's scared he's even worse."  
  
"I'll worry about having hurt feelings after I find your sister. Do you have any idea where she could have gone?"  
  
Georgie shook her head, "Maxie knows Port Charles really well, she could have gone anywhere. God, I'm so stupid."  
  
"Georgie, you didn't do anything!" Damian pointed out.  
  
"Damian, I told her that I thought she was a bad daughter! The only thing I could have done to her that was worse than that would be to call her... heartless..." Georgie stopped herself as she thought about that word. Heart. Maxie's heart.  
  
Damian saw that she was thinking about something. "Georgie?"  
  
"B.J..." Georgie murmured.  
  
Damian didn't understand, "What are you talking about?"  
  
"I think I know where she is!" Georgie exclaimed. "The cemetery... our cousin's grave..." Georgie grabbed her things and hurried to the elevator. "Come on!"  
  
154 


	83. Lending Support

Joy- Good, you heeded the well known advice that water in Mexico has been known to do many things, least of all kill those unfortunate enough to ingest such putrid liquid. I seriously find myself thinking the same thing when I'm watching the show. I always go 'If Damian were an actual character, he wouldn't let that happen.' It makes me laugh some times because it shows how invested I am in the soap. But you're right, he wouldn't stand for the way that Sonny is acting about the boys. Of course, I don't know if Sonny would actually listen, we know how he gets, after all. There are plenty of policies that the people of Port Charles should adopt, but we don't have the time to actually list those things. Mac is a blind fool, but we love him for that. He does realize that Damian is probably a better guy than Kyle, but considering how low on the scale Kyle was, that's really not saying much. Yeah, I knew I was going to throw BJ's heart into this story when I decided to make Maxie a focal point. I never watched it, but I know what happened and the basic ways that it went. Thank you for the compliments and the continued support!  
  
Story-  
  
Cemetery, Port Charles-  
  
She looked at the tombstone. She knew what it said, but she still needed to see it for herself: Barbara Jean Jones. The tears rolled down Maxie's cheek as she thought of her cousin, one of her best friends, one of the best people she ever knew. She didn't deserve to die so young. She didn't deserve to have to die in order to save Maxie's life. Maxie should have been the one that died, she was already sick and there wasn't any hope for her outside of a heart transplant. But instead it was B.J. that was buried, B.J. that died, B.J. that had her life ended when she had so much potential that she should have done. Maxie had wasted her life doing so many stupid things. Things that B.J. would have never done. She would have been a good person. She would have been everything that Maxie wasn't. She shouldn't have been the one that died. She... shouldn't have been the one. Maxie collapsed on her knees in front of the tombstone, "You shouldn't have been the one..." She continually muttered to herself.  
  
Minutes Later-  
  
Damian and Georgie had dashed from the hospital over to the cemetery. They were both out of breath, but neither of them cared about that. All that mattered was making sure that Maxie was okay. Georgie pointed in the general direction of the tombstone, she'd been there a few times herself. B.J. was important to her. She had saved Maxie's life. "She should be... over there..." Georgie said in between breaths.  
  
Damian nodded, "Stay here."  
  
"What?" Georgie turned her head up, "I'm not going to leave my sister alone."  
  
"I'm not going to hurt Maxie, you should know that better than anyone."  
  
"I would never hurt her either," Georgie stated.  
  
"You hurt her by saying the things that you said to her," Damian noted. "I know you didn't really mean to hurt her, Georgie, but you did. If she sees you... she might just run away again."  
  
"I didn't mean it..." Georgie muttered to herself.  
  
"She knows it, too. You were just upset by her lack of emotion towards your mother. But right now neither of us really knows what state of mind Maxie is in. I don't even know if she wants to see me right now."  
  
"I messed everything up," Georgie acknowledged, more to herself than to Damian. "I let my anger get the better of me and it ruined everything."  
  
"She'll forgive you," Damian said softly. He cared about Georgie as well as Maxie. He knew that she was hurting from what she said to her sister. "She loves you too much to stay mad at you."  
  
"You think so?"  
  
Damian smiled, "If I can get over my reservations over my father... anything's possible."  
  
"Make sure she doesn't get away again," Georgie didn't order him, it was more of a plead.  
  
"I'll try," Damian turned away and walked towards the tombstone.  
  
Maxie was still crying and she had her head leaned up against the tombstone. "If I could do it all over... I'd make sure that you were never in that accident. I'd make sure that you didn't die..." Throughout her whole life Maxie lived with the regret that she had about being the one that lived when her cousin died. She would never accept that it was the truth. She would never accept that she should have stayed alive while Barbara Jean died. She could attempt to make herself look as happy as possible, but there was always that black cloud looming over her.  
  
"Maxie..." Damian stood over her, his voice as soft and soothing as possible. There was no telling how she would react to him being around her. He loved her, she loved him, but she wasn't the same person that he knew, not at that moment.  
  
She jerked her head up, her eyes red from the tears that had fallen down her cheeks throughout the night. "How... did you find me?"  
  
"I had help," Damian took a step towards her. She made no sudden movements.  
  
"Georgie called you, didn't she?"  
  
"She was worried about you."  
  
Maxie snickered, "She's always worried about everyone. The people that don't deserve any of her love. Me... our mother... Georgie's got the best heart in the world, and it's her heart. She didn't have to get it from someone else."  
  
Damian got down on his knees, "Come here..."  
  
Maxie looked up at him, trying to look as stone faced as possible. It didn't work for a very long time. She cracked again and thrust herself into Damian's arms, sobbing into his shirt. He held her tightly. "I should have been the one to die... not her."  
  
Damian didn't really know what to say. He didn't know what she was talking about. "Whom?"  
  
Maxie pulled away and wiped her nose with her finger, "My cousin. Barbara Jean. We called her B.J. when she was alive. I still call her that, even though she's gone. I was supposed to be the one that was going to die. I was the sick one, the one that didn't have a chance in the world to survive. She died... and I got her heart."  
  
"You didn't have anything to do with her death, Maxie," Damian assured her. "These things... they just happen."  
  
"She shouldn't have died!" Maxie yelled. "She should be up and running around and making the world a better place." She slammed her fist into the ground, "She shouldn't be buried in a casket like this!"  
  
"I know how you feel, Maxie. Trust me, I know how you feel."  
  
"Do you really?" Maxie asked. "How could you know what it's like to..." She stopped herself as she thought about it. His mother. She died. She left him. "Damian... I didn't... I'm sorry."  
  
Damian only gave her a smile, "I know, Maxie. You're upset at the world for taking away something so precious to you, and you feel that you should have done something about it. I've felt like that every day of my life."  
  
"She would have been better than me at everything," Maxie stated sadly. "She loved her mother, she was a better daughter than I could have ever hoped to be."  
  
"Maxie... you love your mother."  
  
She shook her head, "No, I don't! That's what makes me such a bad person!"  
  
Damian grabbed her hands, "Are you telling me that you could know that she died and not shed a single tear over her?"  
  
Maxie was silent. Finally, she uttered a single word, "I..."  
  
"We both know that isn't true, Maxie. You're too good of a person to just let your disappointment in the woman that gave birth to you be the only part of your relationship. You might not like that she hasn't always been there for you, but you still love her somewhere inside your heart."  
  
"It's not my heart," Maxie muttered.  
  
"Yes, it is," Damian said. "It belongs to you now, a gift that someone gave to you in order to allow your life to continue when hers couldn't. You need to realize that she would have wanted you to stay alive. I know you might not ever feel entirely comfortable with how you got a second chance in life, but at least one of you could survive."  
  
Georgie was watching the two converse a safe distance away. She couldn't really hear anything that was going on, but she knew that Damian was making some headway. Maxie appeared to be calming down.  
  
Mac ran up, "Where is she?"  
  
Georgie had called him once she knew that Maxie was in the cemetery, "Over there."  
  
Mac looked, "What's he doing there?" Mac went to interrupt.  
  
"Don't, dad," Georgie grabbed his arm. "He's the only one that can do anything right now."  
  
"You don't really believe that, do you?" Mac asked.  
  
"I do," Georgie muttered. "He's right, she might see us and try and leave. She's disappointed in herself and in us. She might not be ready to see us."  
  
Maxie wrapped her arms around Damian's neck, "I love you."  
  
"I know. I love you, too." Damian led her up off her feet, "I'll take you home."  
  
She shook her head, "I don't want to go home."  
  
"Maxie, you have to go home, that's where you live."  
  
"We could go to your place..."  
  
"I don't think my dad's ready to let me bring my girlfriend over," Damian stated.  
  
"Not Sonny's, the apartment. We could be alone. There's a bed there..."  
  
"Maxie..."  
  
"I just want you to be with me tonight," She said  
  
Damian shook his head, "Maxie, I won't do what you want me to do."  
  
Maxie turned away, "I'm not good enough for you, am I?"  
  
He shook his head, even though she couldn't see him. "It's not that and you know it. I can't do what you're asking because I don't believe in it."  
  
"You're not religious," She stated.  
  
"Being religious or not has nothing to do with my morals," Damian grabbed her hand again. "It doesn't change how I feel about you, I just can't do that. Please respect my feelings."  
  
"I still can't go home... they're mad at me."  
  
"They're not mad at you. They're worried sick about you."  
  
"How do you know?" Maxie asked, entirely in disbelief about what Damian was telling her.  
  
"Because I was there when Georgie broke down and said that she felt really bad about what she said to you that made you run away from her. She's waiting for you, if you want to see her."  
  
"I can't..."  
  
"What's stopping you?"  
  
"She wants me to do something that I don't want to do. I can't see our mother."  
  
"Make her understand."  
  
"How can you be so nice to me? I don't like my mother, and yours was the most important person in your life."  
  
"Not everyone has the same relationship with their mother as the one that I had with mine," Damian said. "I know that some mother's aren't the best people in the world, and I accept that people can have different opinions on their parents. I may not know your mom, Maxie, but if she can hurt you as much as she did then I'm sure it was something bad. I'm sorry that you had to go through such pain."  
  
"I'm sorry you had to lose your mother."  
  
"So am I. Come on, your sister is waiting for you."  
  
Damian lead Maxie over to the area that Georgie was waiting for them. He didn't know that Mac was waiting with her, and he really didn't care. If Mac wanted to resent him, fine. Maxie was safe, and that was all that mattered.  
  
When Maxie came close enough, Georgie ran up to her and hugged her tightly. "I'm so sorry, Maxie," She said softly.  
  
"It's okay, I shouldn't have run off like that. I'm really sorry that I worried you, Georgie."  
  
"We'll have a talk about that tomorrow," Mac said. "But, for now, I'm just really happy that you're okay."  
  
"I'll talk to you later," Damian let go of Maxie and started to walk away.  
  
"Hold it!" Mac called out. "Look... maybe I was wrong about you. If you hadn't been around... I don't know what would have happened. But I know that you had something to do with calming my daughter down, and I appreciate it."  
  
"Make sure she gets some rest," Damian instructed. He walked away and headed for home.  
  
"Daddy," Maxie hugged him. "Thank you, I know how hard that was for you."  
  
"I only want you safe and happy," Mac said. "Come on, let's go home."  
  
159 


	84. Question of Motive

Kayla- Thank you for the compliment on my work! Mac has apparently started to look at Damian in a different light, or at least he appears to have begun the process. How far he gets is anyone's guess.  
  
Joy- I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, it's certainly a focal point for the angst ridden ways of Port Charles, and since I love writing me the angst, it just came naturally. But in addition to the angst, there was that relationship between Damian and Maxie that was at the center of everything in the chapter. I agree with you, Maxie is very lucky to have someone like Damian who will stand by her and try his best to understand her, even when he doesn't entirely agree with the steps she is taking. I think that Mac is now beginning to see that he helps her in ways that no one else ever could, and that maybe Damian is more important to Maxie than Mac ever thought.  
  
Story-  
  
Corinthos Household, Friday Morning-  
  
Damian didn't lie to her. He didn't lie to Maxie. He knew that she and her mother didn't have the relationship that he had with his. But there was still a part of him that didn't like the fact that she couldn't stand to be around Felicia. He was too much of a mama's boy to accept that Maxie could hate her mother that much. Felicia didn't really do anything wrong. She hurt Maxie emotionally, yes, but that wasn't enough. Felicia was a human, she was allowed to make mistakes. She was also allowed the chance to fix the mistakes that she made. Maxie had apparently given her the chances that she was willing to give, and each time Felicia didn't take them. That didn't mean that Maxie should have just given up on her mother, did it? Those questions plagued him over the night, and they were still bugging him when he woke up.  
  
He sat on the couch, he had been up for a long time, and had just been thinking about the situation since then. Although he was sad about Maxie's choice, he still loved her. He wanted to help her find a place where she could be at peace with her mother, but he wasn't entirely too sure that it was his place to do something like that. He wasn't family, he was just her boyfriend. He understood that there were limits to his relationship with Maxie and the rest of her family. He'd never even met Felicia. He couldn't even recall seeing a picture of her.  
  
Another big question for him was Mac. What happened there? Did they have a clean slate? No, Mac would never overlook the fact that Damian was Sonny's child. He couldn't, and why should he? If Damian had been in the reverse position... would he behave any differently? Probably not. Did that make him a hypocrite? He wasn't going to stop caring about Maxie, even though he knew that his family life could bring her into the path of danger, as it already had done before. Damian wanted answers, and he wasn't getting anything that he wanted. All he had were more questions.  
  
"Morning," Sonny walked down the stairs and saw his boy sitting on the couch. Damian didn't respond to him. Sonny thought that he had done something to irk his child again, but he couldn't think of any reason. "Damian?"  
  
Damian turned his head and smiled at his father, "Sorry, dad. I was thinking about something."  
  
"You were thinking pretty hard, you didn't even hear me when I walked down."  
  
"I've just got a lot of things on my mind right now, I guess," Damian muttered.  
  
Sonny walked over to one of the other seats and spoke, "Did everything go well last night? Is that what you're thinking about? Did something go wrong? Did they make the food bad, because if they did I can find a way to make sure they never work again..."  
  
"Everything went fine, dad," Damian said. "And even if it didn't... there wouldn't be any reason for you to get anyone fired."  
  
"First dates should be perfect. Especially for my boys."  
  
That comment made Damian smirk. Sonny was a complex person. The way that he could shift modes from warm father figure to calculated crime lord... Damian would never find a way to get used to that. "We had a lot of fun, dad."  
  
"So what's the problem then?"  
  
"Her mother was in an accident yesterday," Damian wasn't too sure he should be telling his father anything about Maxie's life, but he didn't want any lies to be between them anymore. He needed to be honest, so he was. "She took it really hard. Not because it was her mother and she cared about her, but because it was her mother and she didn't care. I was able to help her, but I'm still worried about everything."  
  
"Don't worry about Felicia," Carly walked down the stairs. "Any woman that can survive some time with Luke Spencer can survive anything that the natural world can throw at them. She'll make a full recovery."  
  
"If you're worried about your girlfriend why don't you give her a call?" Sonny asked.  
  
"If only it were that simple," Damian stated with a heavy sigh. "I think, in this situation, I only hurt her more than I help her. She looks at me and sees how much I cared for my mother and then she looks at herself and she sees that she never had anything like that. Her mother is still alive and she can never have the things that I had with my mother. I'm like a reminder of this happy dream that she used to have but can never come true. It would probably be a whole lot better for her if I stayed away for a little while. I want to give her the time she needs to adjust with everything."  
  
"Your mother was a very selfless woman," Sonny said. "Just like you."  
  
Damian smiled warmly, "Thanks."  
  
"Everyone is awake!" Michael's dash downstairs made all three adults turn and look at the stairs.  
  
"Shouldn't you be getting ready?" Carly asked her son.  
  
"I just wanted to tell Damian something before I did," Michael told his mother. "Can I tell him first, mommy? Please?"  
  
Carly was quick to succumb to his pleading. What harm could it do? "Okay, but after that you are getting ready!"  
  
"What is it, Michael?" Damian asked. The dynamic between Carly and Michael was so much different from the one that he and Carly shared. Although they both cared about Michael it didn't do much to act as an animosity detour between the two. They both cared about everyone else in their family as well, but it still didn't do anything for their relationship directly. Damian still held out hope that eventually they would find a place where they could be comfortable with one another. Maybe even friends.  
  
"I didn't have any more nightmares last night!" Michael proclaimed proudly.  
  
It was amazing how the littlest and most trivial things could mean so much to a child. Nonetheless, Damian was happy that his little brother had found a new inner strength. "Good job!"  
  
"I just wanted to tell you that and say thank you again," Michael admitted, still beaming in the way that only he could.  
  
"You don't have to thank me," Damian proclaimed. "I'm just happy that I could help you with them. But now you really do have to get ready."  
  
"I know," Michael said as he turned around. "I'll be back when I'm ready!"  
  
Carly waited for Michael to be far enough away before she spoke. "You helped Michael with his nightmares?"  
  
"I came home last night and neither of you were home. He was really worried about something..."  
  
"We went out, too," Sonny said. "We hadn't had a night together, just the two of us, since before..."  
  
"Before you came," Carly finished the statement for Sonny.  
  
"I would have stayed to help with the boys if you had told me that you two needed some time alone," Damian said. "I've watched my cousins from time to time. I can take care of them."  
  
"We have Leticia to take care of them. We pay her to take care of our boys." Carly noted.  
  
"What Carly means is that Leticia is supposed to be here just so that we don't have to put people out of their way just to take care of our sons," Sonny smoothed things over for Carly, even though he was pretty sure that she didn't mean it like he said that she did. Maybe the two of them would need to have another talk.  
  
"He said that he wanted to talk with one of you, he wanted one of you to help him with his nightmares because Leticia wasn't good enough for that problem." Damian looked up at Carly, "I was only trying to help. What was I supposed to do? Keep him up until you got home? How long would that have been?"  
  
"We have cell phones in case our children have a problem and we need to be contacted. You know both our numbers."  
  
"You can't hold your child over a cell phone, Carly," Damian said firmly but calmly. "And that was what Michael needed last night. Someone to hold him in their arms and tell them that everything was going to be just fine. That's what I did. I know how much you want to be there for your child at every possible moment in his life, and I really do respect your right as a mother to do that, but you couldn't do it since you weren't here. You should know me well enough by now to know that I'm not going to let anyone stand around and be afraid or hurt if I can stop it."  
  
"Because you're such a kind person," Carly was spiteful. Damian took it upon himself to act as a parental figure to her son?  
  
"If he wouldn't have gone to me he would have just went down the hall to Aunt Courtney or Uncle Jason," Damian said.  
  
"They know how to help Michael."  
  
"So do I," Damian was trying as hard as he could to not let this turn into something that he could possibly regret, but he had reached his breaking point. "Are you telling me that I'm not good enough to help your child, my little brother?"  
  
"I'm just used to doing it myself," Carly admitted. "I always want to be the one that helps Michael with his problems when he has a bad dream or when he has a stomach ache."  
  
"You can't always be there for him, Carly," Damian said. "You need to realize that there are going to be times when you can't help Michael with every little problem that he has. I know you love him, but so do I. If you had been here I'm sure he would have went to you before he went to me, or even dad. But you weren't, and you need to accept that."  
  
"I've got to accept a lot of things," Carly noted. "I'll go help Michael and check on Morgan." Carly walked up the stairs, not even glancing at her husband or her step-son.  
  
"You think he heard any of that?" Damian asked.  
  
"You two kept it down enough. I think he's going to be kept in the dark about that particular scuffle."  
  
"I was only trying to help him, dad."  
  
"And you did," Sonny said. "I'm sure somewhere deep down Carly is thankful that you were around, she just has a really unique way of showing her gratitude."  
  
"As in not showing any at all," Damian threw his head back on the couch.  
  
"If it makes you feel any better... having a fight with Carly and not having her yell is just one of the signs that she's actually starting to adjust to the new situation that we're all in."  
  
"You're just telling me that to make me feel better."  
  
"Maybe," Sonny grinned. "Did it work?"  
  
"Only a little bit," Damian replied, bringing his head up so he could gaze at his father. They had the same smile.  
  
163 


	85. Epiphany

No New Reviews-  
  
Story-  
  
Scorpio Household-  
  
When they got home the night before, Maxie had gone straight to her room. She didn't want to talk to anyone, she just wanted to sleep. She just wanted to forget everything that happened. Of course, she could never forget, but it was nice to think that she might have been able to, if only for a few seconds.  
  
Now she would have to talk. How could she not? Her little sister was standing two feet away from her, after all. "You still mad at me?" Maxie asked.  
  
Georgie sat on the edge of the bed, "I was never really mad at you, Maxie. I was just sad that you didn't care about our mother enough to see her after she got hurt. I know you harbor some animosity towards her for constantly finding a way to get out of our lives, but I never thought that you'd forget that she loves us as much as she does. Because we both know that deep down Mom loves us a lot. So does Frisco. You've never been mad about him hardly ever being around."  
  
"We've had Mac to be here for us when we needed a dad," Maxie said. "He picked up the slack that Frisco left. But we never had someone that acted like a mom for us when our mother couldn't. I suppose we could have always depended on Bobbie, but... you know what I mean."  
  
"Yeah, I do," Georgie spoke softly. "I still want to see her."  
  
"I can't," Maxie replied. "I'm sorry, Georgie. I just can't go and see her. I know you think that I have no heart, that I don't care about her enough to go see her, and I guess you might be right. I can't bring myself to do it."  
  
"Is there a reason why?"  
  
"I can't... look at her," Maxie admitted. "I can't see her hooked up to a bunch of machines in a hospital after she's been hurt. I can't live with myself if I think that she deserved what happened to her, or if I get angry because I think she's going to die without the two of us getting through everything that we've been through. If I saw her in the hospital... I don't know what I'd do."  
  
"You're afraid."  
  
"I'm afraid of myself," Maxie ran a hand through her hair. "I don't like the person that I am when I think about how much anger I have towards mom, but I can't help it. She's never given me a reason to not have that anger."  
  
"I suppose you're right." Georgie looked at her sister, and she had to know, "Why did you go to the cemetery last night?"  
  
"Isn't it obvious?"  
  
"If it was obvious I wouldn't be asking you," Georgie retorted.  
  
"I felt heartless last night, Georgie. And it's because, in actuality, I guess I am heartless. The heart I have isn't mine. The heart I have belongs to someone else. Someone who shouldn't have died."  
  
"I know how you feel about getting her heart, Maxie, but it was the only thing that could have saved your life. She would have wanted you to live. You know that."  
  
"I know," Maxie said softly. "I know it, but I might not ever accept it."  
  
"I'm just glad that you're okay," Georgie wrapped her arms around her sister. "I'd never be able to live with myself if you had gotten hurt because you left when I said those mean things to you."  
  
"You were just being honest," Maxie smiled, even though there was nothing happy about it.  
  
"I'm happy that Damian came with me, too."  
  
Maxie got up and took a few steps away from Georgie, "You really shouldn't have done that."  
  
"Why not?" Georgie wondered. "You love him and I knew he'd want to help."  
  
"I messed up again last night, Georgie," Maxie bit her lip as she recalled the events.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I wanted Damian to take me back to his apartment at Kelly's. I wanted..."  
  
Georgie knew what Maxie was talking about, "You wanted to go and have sex with him?"  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"And why didn't you?" Georgie questioned.  
  
"He didn't..."  
  
Georgie blinked, "He didn't want... to?"  
  
Maxie shook her head, "I should have known better!"  
  
"Maxie, he's a guy! They almost always want to!"  
  
"He didn't. He said that it went against his morals and he wouldn't do it."  
  
Georgie was stunned. She could only utter a single word, "Wow."  
  
"I ruined my relationship with him because I was acting so stupid and emotional last night!"  
  
"Why did you want it to be last night?" Georgie inquired. "Was it the date?"  
  
"It was just the easiest thing to get my mind off my problems that didn't involve drugs or alcohol. I just wanted to forget what was going on without doing those things again. When I was with Kyle... it was all I thought about when we did it."  
  
"You treated Damian like Kyle? You realize how stupid that was, don't you?"  
  
"I do now," Maxie said with a nod of her head. "I should have realized that he wouldn't have sex with me. I should have realized that he's too much of a good person to just do something like that, but I didn't. Now he hates me."  
  
"You know he doesn't hate you, Maxie. He loves you so much."  
  
"You think?"  
  
"I know for a fact that he does," Georgie stated with confidence. "He was so afraid last night when he realized that you were missing. He would have done anything to make sure you were okay. Kyle would have never stuck his neck out like that for you."  
  
"You're right, he wouldn't have."  
  
Both girls turned to the doorway and saw Mac standing there. Maxie was the one that spoke, "Dad? How long have you been standing there?"  
  
"Long enough to realize that I was wrong about a lot of things when it came to your boyfriend, Maxie. I guess I was fooling myself into thinking that no one could love you like I do, but it looks like I was wrong. He cares about you enough to give himself up in order to keep you safe, yet he wouldn't use you in your time of weakness like Kyle. As much as it pains me to say this... I was wrong about Damian. I got so caught up in the fact that he was Sonny's child that I never took the time to actually examine him as a person all his own. I still don't like the fact that he's a Corinthos, but there are worse people in the world that you could be in love with."  
  
"Daddy..." Maxie walked over and hugged him.  
  
"Just don't expect me to go and be around Sonny and Jason if they have a barbeque or anything, okay?"  
  
"They'd never have a barbeque, they hate being out in the open."  
  
Georgie was happy for Maxie. Happy that Mac had seen the light. Of course, Mac still didn't like Dillon, or did he? "Dad... if you were wrong about Damian..."  
  
Mac looked over at Georgie, "Yes, Georgie, it means I was wrong about your boyfriend, too. Tell Dillon that he can be around with me without worrying about me threatening to arrest him. But, if either of them hurt you in any way, I will not be kind or forgiving."  
  
"Am I still in trouble for last night?" Maxie wondered.  
  
"You're an adult, you don't have a curfew. Just promise me that you'll never ever do something like that again. Okay?"  
  
Maxie looked up, "I promise."  
  
Mac wrapped his arms around both of his girls. They meant so much to him.  
  
167 


	86. Never Enough

Corinthos Household-  
  
Carly hadn't returned from upstairs since she stormed to the second story of the house looking to get away from the person that she perceived as the step-son from hell. Sonny wanted to do something to bring them closer together, but he had learned long ago that forcing Carly into doing anything would be the first way to keep her from doing whatever it was that needed to be done. Carly was very much like Sonny in that respect, neither of them enjoyed being pushed into doing anything. So far, from his observations, Sonny concluded that Damian was more than a little bit like that himself.  
  
"How long should I give her, dad?" He asked.  
  
"Whom? Maxie?"  
  
Damian gave a slight nod of his head in confirmation, "I want her to deal with the problems that she's having. I don't want to smother her if she needs time to be alone. I remember how it felt when people just assumed that you needed someone to be there with you when all you really needed was to be alone and cope in your own way. My grandparents tried to do that with me when my mom died. I don't exactly know if Maxie's feeling like that, but I'm not about to take the chance of throwing myself into something that I shouldn't be involved in."  
  
"I'm about the last person you should ask when it comes to something like that, Damian. I don't know Maxie all that well, and it seems like that would be something that you'd need to get advice from someone who did know her. You could try calling Georgie. Or, if you're really desperate, Mac."  
  
"I'd sooner crawl through a mile of glass with nothing but a pair of boxers on than ask any favors from Mac," Damian was being somewhat sarcastic. He would ask for a lot more than boxers, after all.  
  
"He's been giving you a hard time, hasn't he?"  
  
"What made it obvious?" Damian inquired. "It was the venomously filled spiteful comment, wasn't it?"  
  
"I would have known even without the comment," Sonny said. "Mac's always been like that when it comes to those girls. He loves them so much, even though they aren't really his. I can relate. It makes me respect him, and I try not to give cops my respect as much as possible."  
  
"I respect and appreciate his role in Maxie's life. Georgie's too for that matter. I just wish that he was a little less... intense when it came to unjustly hating me. I get enough of that when I come home and get berated by Carly for doing something that upset her. Usually it involves breathing of some kind." Damian smirked at his own comment, again noting that they could be really close if they could get past the fact that they just did not like each other at all.  
  
"You want the problem eliminated?"  
  
"You're offering to off Mac for me? I'd almost be able to appreciate the offer if I wasn't so repulsed by the fact that you made it."  
  
"I wasn't being entirely serious," Sonny poured himself a glass of water.  
  
"Who are you trying to convince?" Damian asked.  
  
"Mac is one of the few cops on that entire force that isn't crooked, Damian. There are plenty of times that he'll help try and bring me down, but he won't go out of his way to fabricate evidence against me just because the higher ups, which would be Ric and Scott, want it. I try and keep the 'good' cops alive as long as I can."  
  
"And that would be the only reason for you to keep him alive? Because he just happens to be one of the better policemen on the force? It doesn't bother you at all that you would be bringing someone to their death just to keep your empire going?"  
  
Sonny was silent for a moment. "Regardless of how often I do it, I don't like having to kill people. I try and make sure that it is done as little as possible, and only then to keep the people that I care about... that I have pledged to protect... safe. If it comes down to me or one of my enemies dying, you can be damned sure that I'm going to find a way to make it certain that I'm the one who comes out on top. I'm never going to just step down and leave my wife a widow and let my kids live without their father. Sometimes it does bother me, what I do, but it's the life that I have decided that I want and that's usually enough to keep me sane."  
  
"What if it's not the life that other people want for you?"  
  
"I can't live my life by anyone else's rules, son. I'm not the type of person that can take orders. Look at what happened the last time I did..."  
  
"I happened," Damian muttered. "Was that what broke you? Was what happened between you and my mother the thing that made you realize that you couldn't stand around and be anyone's lap dog? Did that give you some sort of epiphany where you decided that you would find a way to make your own destiny?"  
  
"It was one of the things... yeah," Sonny admitted. "But it wasn't the only thing."  
  
"What else was there?"  
  
"I don't want to talk about it," Sonny said.  
  
"I thought we agreed to not keep any secrets from each other."  
  
"I'm not keeping a secret from you, Damian. I just do not want to talk about what I had to do in order to get out of Scully's thrall. The things that he made me do... just recalling what I'll let myself remember is too much for me. I know you wouldn't be able to hear them."  
  
"I'm an adult, I'm old enough."  
  
"But you're not bad enough," Sonny said. "You're too morally righteous to even accept or comprehend what I once did. Please, don't ask me about it. I don't ask very much of you when it comes to accepting what I do, but just accept that some things I can't talk about with anyone... anyone at all."  
  
"Will you come to me if you decide that you can talk about them?" Damian asked. "I'm more resilient than you think I am."  
  
"And I'm less than you think I am."  
  
Damian smiled softly, "You better start shaping back into the cold-faced Sonny Corinthos that people know and loathe. If they see you like this... they might start thinking that you actually have feelings."  
  
"I do have feelings," Sonny said coyly.  
  
"I know that, you know that, and the people that really know you well enough know that, but you don't like letting people outside of your very limited circle in on such dirty little secrets, do you?"  
  
"I think I liked you more when you didn't examine my life on an hourly basis," Sonny took another drink of his water, although the urge to get something stronger was great.  
  
"Did you like it more when I just called you 'Sonny' instead of 'dad?'"  
  
Sonny slumped his shoulders, "You've made your point."  
  
"But you haven't given me an answer," Damian informed his father. "I want you to know that you can come to me when you need someone to talk to, dad. The only way we're going to forge a strong relationship is if we know that we can rely on one another to help each other when it's needed. I know I can rely on you. I just need to know that you think that you can rely on me."  
  
"If I ever need someone to help me battle my personal demons, you'll be at the top of my list. Just don't run into a corner and curl up into a ball."  
  
The door opened as Jason walked inside the penthouse. He never needed to knock. It was more than being a member of the family. Jason just always had a reason for coming into the home. He almost never exchanged the pleasantries himself. It wasn't part of his character. Damian looked over his shoulder, "Morning, Uncle Jason."  
  
It had been about a week since Damian had bequeathed Jason with the title, but Jason still found it to be a little strange. He never let it show, though. Jason Morgan almost never let anything show. "Morning," Jason said blankly.  
  
Damian wouldn't go into asking Jason anything else. Jason was a man of little words and much action. He only went into very uncommon rants when he felt that the situation was extremely dire. Damian didn't mind, he felt closer to Jason because of their extended conversation after the incident with Faith. Of course, when Jason tended to come around it meant that he and Sonny needed to talk about something... and it was more than likely something that Damian wanted nothing of. "I should start studying for one of my tests," Damian headed towards his room. "If you need me, just holler."  
  
Sonny waited until he heard the door close. Even with the door closed, he talked lower than he normally would. He could talk at normal voice level and not have Michael hear if Michael were upstairs, but Damian was much closer since his room was on the bottom floor. Anything that happened in Sonny's life was not always something that he wanted any of his children involved in. When it came to the business, that was almost always the case. "You got some information for me?"  
  
Jason nodded, "We've got a shipment coming in later tonight. It's the shipment that you ordered a few days ago. You want to be there to make sure everything runs smoothly?"  
  
"Do you need me there?"  
  
Jason didn't really need Sonny around him to do anything anymore. There was a time, directly after the accident, when he needed Sonny to act as something of a mentor to him and show him how to stay out of trouble. But Sonny had taught Jason everything that Jason needed to know. He'd never come out and say that he didn't need Sonny, but that was the truth. Simply because he didn't need Sonny did not mean that he found Sonny to be a burden, although on some level that was also true. Jason wanted Sonny to stay out of the business after the incident with Carly and the bullet. He thought that Sonny would stay out for good. Of course, he hadn't anticipated having to deal with the adjustment that came with discovering that Sonny had an illegitimate child that no one knew about. "No, I don't."  
  
"Do you think I should be there?"  
  
"Sonny, the people that you got this shipment from know not to even think about double crossing you."  
  
"Still, I should be there to remind them not to try anything. I'll be there with the rest of you later tonight."  
  
"How are you going to explain that to your son?" Jason asked. "He's never actually been around here when you go and check up on a shipment."  
  
"He knows what I do now, Jason. He's a smart boy, he'll understand where I went."  
  
Jason turned away, "I'll make sure everything keeps on running smoothly."  
  
"If anything changes, you know how to contact me." Sonny watched as Jason left the house, the door closing behind him.  
  
171 


	87. Too Much to Take In

Notes: If there were Emmy's to be given out for sheer cuteness, Steve and Dylan would so own those awards. Damn, every time I see them on the screen together I go 'aw,' and people think I put too much mushy stuff in this, you know who you are. Jason seriously looks too damned cute (not sexy cute, mind you, just the cute cute) whenever he's around Michael. And the Flashback!!! I don't care if the baby was blonde... sheer adorableness. Okay, yes, I'm rambling. But really, soooooooo cute. Side Note, my computer is acting really REALLY stupid, I think it got a virus. If that means that I get my hard drive wiped... well, that could seriously put some hindrance on my story. Obviously, I will keep you informed. But if I don't post for awhile, just assume that my computer basically blew up.  
  
Story-  
  
No one ever said that becoming a doctor was going to be a walk in the park. It was easily one of the hardest professions to actually get started in, let alone keep going. Add in the fact that most medical students ended up getting thousands of dollars in debt due to loans to pay for school and it quickly became a wonder why anyone would ever think about taking the profession up. For Damian, the answer was simple: That urge to help people wouldn't die. He could be in debt for all his life and saving one person would make the debt worth it. Of course, with his father paying for his medical school expenses he was operating entirely in the black. Damian would pay Sonny back in time. He wasn't going to allow himself to be a charity case for anyone, even his father. Luckily, Sonny understood that basic urge to pay back the debts that were owed. Sonny was very much like that himself.  
  
There was a soft knocking on his door, "Come in." He certainly hoped that it wasn't Carly, but she lived in the penthouse as well, so anything was possible.  
  
Much to his delight it wasn't Carly, it was Courtney. She smiled as she walked in, "Hey."  
  
Something about her smile... even if he was in a horrible mood, Damian could look at his Aunt Courtney and smile with her. She had an infectious smile, much like Michael. He wondered if Jason had one, in the off chance that he did smile. Odds were that it happened so rarely that people were too busy trying to hide the shock off their faces in order to smile back. "You need something?"  
  
She shook her head, "Do I need a reason to come say hello to my nephew?"  
  
"Of course not," Damian responded. "I don't know, I guess I'm just adjusting to people really only talking to other people around here only when they need it. With Michael it's different, he wants to talk about everything. But that's because he's just a little kid and that's how kids are at his age. With dad and Carly... unless something's really bothering them they stay pretty quiet. It's funny... back home I was always the quiet one while everyone else in my family would talk about all their problems. Now I'm here and I'm the one that does most of the talking."  
  
"They don't like to burden people with their problems unless they need the help," Courtney said. "And trust me, they only come for help when they really need it. But that doesn't change the fact that they're really good people deep down."  
  
"I know that."  
  
Courtney glanced at the books that were stacked up on the desk. "Those all your books for school?"  
  
"No, just one class."  
  
Courtney's eyes widened. "Tell me you're lying."  
  
"I'd love to say that I was, Aunt Courtney."  
  
"You'll do fine," Courtney said in a comforting tone. "I bet you're not even afraid of all the studying that you're going to do before you finally become a doctor."  
  
"You're right. It's not the studying that I'm afraid of. It's the interning later on that I'm afraid of."  
  
"You're great with people, Damian. Look at how you act around Michael and Morgan... well, maybe not Morgan."  
  
"I'm great with people when I don't have to worry about saving their lives. I'm afraid of failing my patients."  
  
"Everyone is," Courtney sat on his bed. "Everyone, no matter what they do, is afraid of failing at their chosen craft."  
  
"Not everyone has a life in their hands."  
  
"Lawyers do. CEO's worry about the people that they employ being out of jobs if they don't become profitable."  
  
"This was all so much easier when I just wanted to play the piano for a living," Damian muttered softly.  
  
"No one is expecting you to do something like this if you don't want to do it," Courtney felt bad that her nephew was entering a profession that he obviously had some reservations about. "I know your desire to become a doctor is because of your mother's death, but she wouldn't want you to make yourself unhappy just to try and preserve her memory."  
  
"I want to do this," Damian told himself and his aunt. "I do want to help people as much as I possibly can. I could do it a lot better if I were in the operating room than if I was at a concert hall."  
  
"How long have you been studying?" Courtney asked.  
  
Damian looked over at the clock, "A few hours. Why?"  
  
"Take the night off. Just go out, relax. You still have plenty of time to get your studying done. Besides, what college student actually gets any studying done on a Friday?"  
  
"The kind that want to actually succeed," Damian replied sarcastically.  
  
"Don't make me take those books away from you," Courtney said coyly. "Please, just take a personal day. You're not expected to hold the world's problems on your shoulders all the time, you know."  
  
"I've been doing it for such a long time... it's hard to think about not doing it."  
  
"You've got to stop dwelling on the past and become your own person," Courtney got up and turned the doorknob, "It's the only way that you're going to actually be happy."  
  
Damian got off his chair and opted to listen to his aunt's advice. He knew that she was genuine, and if he was going to take advice from anyone it would be her.  
  
Port Charles Docks, Friday Night-  
  
With fall fast approaching, the night chill caused by the ocean was made ever more obvious to the people of Port Charles. Jason Morgan didn't appear to be affected by the cold. Of course, he didn't appear to be affected by the heat, either. He was one of the few people that could go around the day in the middle of the summer wearing a leather jacket and not complaining about it. Jason always kept his complaints inside, never expressing them unless the situation absolutely called for it.  
  
Sonny, on the other hand, didn't have Jason's sense of self-control. "Damn, it's cold."  
  
"I can handle everything if you just want to go back to the penthouse, Sonny," Jason said as he and Sonny and some of the hired men waited for the shipment to come in.  
  
"Trying to get rid of me, Jason?" Sonny asked. "I told you already, I'm not going anywhere. People need to realize that I'm back in the game. They need to remember how afraid of me they used to be."  
  
"They were still afraid of you."  
  
"But not as afraid," Sonny pointed out. "You know how this business works, Jason, I've taught you everything that I know. You know how important fear and intimidation can be when you're dealing with the things that we deal with on a daily basis."  
  
"You play the game differently, Sonny. You always have, you always will."  
  
There was a sound that caught them all by alarm from behind. They were being somewhat sloppy, although they caught it in time that they could react accordingly in case it was something that they needed to be worried about. It wasn't. It was only Damian. He wasn't all that enthused about having at least a half dozen guns, fully loaded, pointed at his chest. He put his hands up.  
  
Sonny shook his head, "Lower the guns." His men did as instructed. "What the hell are you doing here?" Sonny asked his son.  
  
"I... didn't know you were going to be here, dad."  
  
"That doesn't answer my question."  
  
"I wanted to feel the breeze of the ocean," Damian admitted. "It was something I used to do a lot when I was in California. It helped calm me down when I had a lot on my mind."  
  
"You could have gotten yourself killed."  
  
"But I didn't."  
  
"You shouldn't be here," Sonny pointed out. "It's dangerous."  
  
"Everything is dangerous when it comes to being your son, remember?"  
  
"Right now isn't the time for us to talk about something like this, Damian. Go home! Please, I don't want to worry about you in case something does happen."  
  
There was something in his father's eyes that Damian had very rarely seen. Sincerity. Sonny wanted to keep him safe. He wanted to keep himself safe. "Okay, I'm going."  
  
"Shouldn't you go with him?" Jason asked. "Just to make sure he actually does go home?"  
  
Sonny shook his head, "He'll listen to me. I hope."  
  
"Mr. Corinthos, here comes the ship," Max pointed out as he saw the markings that they were all looking for.  
  
Sonny nodded, "Get ready for anything, boys..." 


	88. Stray Bullets

Notes: I believe I have created another character. If I have, he belongs to me. If I have not, well then the point is moot, right? Don't worry, it's a one shot, no, really, look, he is.  
  
Story-  
  
Try as hard as he did in order to prepare for whatever was about to come, Sonny found it actually impossible to not focus on the fact that his son was still in the area. Sonny did not like the idea of Damian being around in case something did happen. While he knew that his oldest boy was much more equipped to deal with the reality of the situation than Michael, there were still too many things that Damian didn't know, nor should he ever know. Sonny wanted to keep the more lecherous aspects of his chosen path in life out of the minds of his boys. He may have succeeded in that, but there was no telling if he really had. A part of him wanted to chase after Damian and make sure that he went to the Penthouse without seeing anything, but that would likely cause another rift between the two and Sonny couldn't afford having an estrangement from his son again. He only hoped that the boy would remain as safe as he possibly could.  
  
Sonny quickly realized that he shouldn't have been feeling as if something bad was going to happen. After all, Myer had organized the entire operation himself, and Myer had a very high success rate. He didn't trust Myer as much as he trusted Jason or Max, but Myer was certainly up there in the people that Sonny felt he could turn to in case things got too bad. Still, Sonny went into every situation, no matter how safe it appeared to be, with guns blazing and ready for anything. He had learned a long time ago that things happened that people couldn't really prepare for both in and out of the business.  
  
Jason casually and only very rarely turned his gaze from the incoming ship onto Sonny. Sonny was easy to read. When he was overcome with any given emotion he had no way of hiding it. Most of the time that emotion was anger, but Jason knew that this time it was worry. Sonny was worried about what Damian saw, and if he would really just leave the area. Jason doubted that he would. He wasn't ready to give anyone, even Damian, who he admitted was a lot different than his first inspection had concluded, that much benefit of the doubt. No, he was too much like Courtney. They had a very admirable but at times very dangerous trait that made them want to keep their family members safe at all costs, even the costs of their lives. If Courtney had been around she wouldn't have left. She would have pretended to leave, but she would have found some place to hide and watch, just to make sure. Jason didn't have the time to go and look around the area for a hiding spot that Damian could have found, but that didn't change the fact that he was almost certain Damian was lurking around somewhere. Now, Jason had to make sure that he watched Sonny as well. When he was emotional it made him very irrational. Jason would protect Sonny at all costs. Not only because he was Jason's friend, mentor, and brother-in-law, but because his death would cause so many people pain. People that he cared about.  
  
Minutes passed as the men stood in silence. They watched as the boat docked and some people came off the vessel, unloading the cargo. Finally, one of them came up and eyed Sonny, "You're Sonny Corinthos, correct?"  
  
"That's right," Sonny said blankly.  
  
"We've got your shipment, as promised. You agreed to pay us in cash the moment that the shipment arrived. I certainly hope you can keep your end of the bargain."  
  
"I'm a man of my word," Sonny replied. He pointed to one of his men who was carrying a suitcase, "The money is there, as you requested."  
  
"Then I suppose we are done here, are we not?"  
  
Sonny smiled and shook his head, "How foolish do you think I am? One of the first rules of the business is to make sure that the shipment is what it was intended."  
  
"You don't trust me?" The man asked.  
  
"I don't trust anyone, especially people I don't know." The first part was a lie. Sonny did trust some people. But this guy, whoever he was, didn't need to know that. "You don't object to an inspection of the product, do you?"  
  
"I can assure you that it is what you asked for."  
  
"Well then there's no reason why you should be afraid that I might not like what I see, is there?"  
  
The man was silent for a moment, "I suppose not."  
  
"Good." Sonny turned to Max, "Max, make sure that everything is in order."  
  
"Of course, Mr. Corinthos." Max, ever the dutiful soldier, walked up to the crate and propped it open. He dug through to make sure that everything was as ordered, not just the top layer and then the bottom was filled with things that were not what was on the agreement. Less than a minute passed as Max continued his inspection, "Everything appears to be on the level."  
  
Sonny was handed the briefcase and he walked it over to the delivery man, "You gave me the goods, I provide you with the cash. That's how it works, right?"  
  
"You'll never get the chance to use those goods," A voice said from behind.  
  
"What the hell?" Sonny asked as he turned around to see himself and his men surrounded.  
  
"The great Sonny Corinthos," The same voice repeated. Sonny got a good look at his face and saw his smile. "It's been awhile."  
  
"Not long enough, I can assure you of that," Sonny remarked bluntly.  
  
The man smiled, "You remember me?"  
  
"I never forget the people who tried to work their way up the ladder by kissing the ass of the man in power. I must admit that I'm surprised to see you alive. Usually your kind of people don't make it very long in the business, because you spend so much time trying to talk your way up that you're not prepared to get dirty when the time comes."  
  
"I'm more than able to multi-task. Scully knew that."  
  
"Scully knew a lot of things," Sonny thought of his old boss. "But he didn't know how to keep himself alive after being shot. I was under the impression that any conflict I had with any of his people would be ignored since I was the one that killed him. You've got no reason to avenge his death, Asp."  
  
"True," Asp responded. "But who said that the reason I came here was to get back at you for killing Scully? My reasons for being around this area are entirely my own. I've come to show you that I was so much more than what you thought I was when you and I were with him."  
  
"Trying to show me that I shouldn't have been the one that was his right hand man?" Sonny asked. "He knew you couldn't hold a candle to me, Asp. That's why he had me do all the dirty work and you were just there as a poster child."  
  
"You have to admit that you had a lot of fun doing what he asked you to do, Sonny."  
  
"I never admit anything to the people I don't like."  
  
"I can't tell you how many times I've thought about how much fun it would have been to be the one that did beautiful Latina in Los Angeles. You didn't look like you had much fun then, but what man wouldn't enjoy a fine piece of ass like that?"  
  
"I'm going to make sure that you pay for what you just said," Sonny remarked. No one talked about Ana-Maria like that, especially not some third rate wannabe mobster.  
  
"You're in no position to make idle threats," Asp commented, his grin widening by the second. "You do realize that I've got you surrounded with my men."  
  
"I've come out of worse situations than this unscratched, Asp. That's always been your problem. You underestimate everyone else but overestimate yourself."  
  
"It's funny, you know," Asp began. "I came to this area thinking that I would have to kill that woman that slaughtered the five families in order to get to you. I even tried to ambush her, but one of her guards took the bullet instead. Yet she's been wiped out of the picture, and the only person that I had in my way when it came to doing you in is gone. I must say that you provided me with something very useful when you got rid of her."  
  
"My reasons for doing anything are mine alone. I'd suggest that you get out of my territory before I actually try and retaliate."  
  
"It won't be your territory much longer, Sonny." Asp pulled out his gun, "Kill them all!" He demanded as the hail of bullets began.  
  
Sonny jumped out of the way of the bullet as he rolled and took out his own gun. He and his men looked for cover, but they were surrounded on both sides and cover wasn't readily available. Things didn't look all that great, but Sonny and his people wouldn't be giving up anytime soon.  
  
Jason took out some of the henchmen on both sides as he kept an eye on Sonny. His own safety wasn't important.  
  
Elsewhere-  
  
Damian was walking extremely slow. He knew that his dad wanted him to be safe, and he certainly didn't want to be shot at, but he didn't want his father, his Uncle Jason, or any of his father's employees harmed either. He needed to make sure that everything was going to be okay. When he heard the hail of gunfire going off, faintly but still very noticeable, he knew that everything wasn't. Damian turned around and headed back for the docks at full speed.  
  
Port Charles Docks-  
  
No matter how many times it happened, no one could really prepare for a gun battle. The way that time seemed to move at a standstill despite the fact that your heart was racing at speeds that would make a hummingbird envious. The battle that Sonny, Jason, and the others were involved in was no different. Sonny was right about something: Asp had given himself too much credit. The people that he had employed were novices at best. They didn't understand the tactics that went into surviving a gun fight the way that Sonny and Jason did. It made them very easy to dispose of.  
  
Soon enough the rapid sounds of gunfire were all but a thing of the past. Sonny looked over at Jason, "Everyone okay?"  
  
Jason took a look around, "That work for us? Yeah."  
  
"Good."  
  
Sonny didn't notice the fact that Asp was still alive. Bleeding, blacking out, and on the brink of death, but still alive. Asp pulled out his gun and fired a shot.  
  
"Sonny!" Jason tackled Sonny to the ground, the bullet lodging in his knee cap.  
  
Sonny, on the way down, pulled out his gun and shot Asp in the heart. Asp fell to the ground, dead. "Jason!"  
  
"I'll be fine," Jason said as he grabbed his bleeding leg. His body was shaking in pain, but his voice didn't show any of the pain that he was in.  
  
"Dad!" Damian ran up, breathing heavily. He saw Jason on the ground, "Uncle Jason!"  
  
"I told you to go back to the Penthouse!" Sonny yelled.  
  
"I heard the gunshots and I had to make sure that everything was okay," Damian walked over to Jason and knelt down. "You need to get Uncle Jason to the hospital."  
  
Sonny heard the sirens of the cops coming, "We don't have time to get him to the hospital! The cops will check there first and if they see us they'll know we were involved somehow."  
  
"Dad, Uncle Jason was shot!"  
  
"I'll take care of it at home!" Sonny yelled. "We need to get out of here, fast! Help me pick him up!"  
  
Damian nodded as he and his father picked Jason up and walked away. He was unaware of the fact that his wallet had fallen out of his jacket pocket. There were so many things that were racing through his mind at that moment that he didn't even bother to make sure that there were no traces of his being there.  
  
By the time the cops got to the scene, everyone was gone. The only evidence that there had been a scuffle of any kind was the body count that had been made during the encounter. Lucky was one of the cops that was on duty. Ric was there with him. He had already ordered a scan of the area for any evidence. When Lucky appeared next to Ric, the Assistant DA was in full job mode, "Do we have any positive IDs on any of the dead."  
  
"Some of them were known to be associates of Faith Rosco," Lucky said. "It's possible that she was involved."  
  
"Unlikely," Ric muttered. He knew that Faith was gone. Maybe not dead, but certainly out of the picture after trying to use Damian against Sonny. She played a gambit and lost. Ric was happy to see her gone. "Anything else?"  
  
Lucky took out the wallet, which was wrapped in a cloth to prevent any further fingerprints from being displayed on it. "We found this."  
  
"Any identification?"  
  
Lucky eyed Ric, "Yeah."  
  
"So?" Ric asked. "Who is it? Lucky, tell me."  
  
"The wallet belongs to your nephew, Damian."  
  
Ric's jaw dropped. "What? There's no way," Ric didn't believe that Damian was the type of person that Sonny was. Ric grabbed the wallet and opened it, keeping his own prints off but still being able to look inside. He saw the identification card, "Dammit..." 


	89. Under Pressure

Note: FF.net is predictably being a stupid whore. It's not letting me log in, so if I don't end up posting on the 3rd of March, worry not. I will post two chapters on the 4th to make up for it. Also, I would have responded to reviews sooner, but I didn't get them because, again, the site was being a whore. Nonetheless, I will respond to them now.  
  
Joy- You're not the only one who is behind *glares at the site*, but it shouldn't take that long to play catch up, I hope. Yeah, Carly's apathy is very much a plot device. Of course, it's most certainly not out of her character to be this mean for this long, but there are plenty of reasons why she is doing it. Least of all being the fact that it's just fun to write the two of them engaging in banter. I wasn't expecting the little smile bit to get such a reaction, thanks for sharing.  
  
I have seen parts of Crazy/Beautiful. My roommate owns it and he was watching it once and I came in during something, but I think it was mostly during the special features on the dvd or whatever. Nonetheless, I don't know very much about what happened in that story, although I'm sure that if you believe that there are such strong parallels between the two characters then it must be true. Again I point out that Damian really doesn't have religious beliefs anymore, but his morals do stem from what was one a very religious lifestyle. Yeah, Mac has seen the light. It's about time, too. He realized that someone who would turn down sex (especially a young man... because honestly, how bad are they when it comes to sex?) based on moral principals alone couldn't be all that bad. Dillon he kind of liked already, and was tolerating a lot more than he tolerated Damian, so he bunched them up together to make his daughters happy. I could see Sonny trying to eat a rib and trying not to stain his nice business suit with the sauce. Oh, the comedy.  
  
Exploring relationships is what I do. Even more importantly, it's what soaps do. If there weren't such deep character relationships, do you think soaps would last as long as they do? The funny thing about Damian was that even when he wasn't calling Sonny 'dad,' he would have still been there for him, because he understands that they have that tie that can't be broken. Now he's just trying to assert himself into his father's life more because he wants to be there for Sonny when he needs it.  
  
I think it's very nice that you thought of me when you were watching those scenes. I find myself putting Damian into the stories on the show, but I don't think anyone would ever think of me while they were watching something. It's great. Yes, they were adorable. I want to see more flashbacks of when Jason was raising Michael. It was really odd to see how different he was. Everything about him was different, even his tone of voice. Yeah, the Damian/Courtney relationship is a very strong one indeed. I don't know, I have a lot of close relationships like that with some of my aunts, so it didn't make it seem very odd. Besides, how could you not have a close relationship with Courtney? She's so nice and whatnot. The situation with the docks is something you need to read further into, heh heh heh.  
  
Kayla- I would update soon, I really would, but the site is being evil. Blame it on the site! I'm glad you liked the most recent 'big' plot development. It will be fun to see where it goes, won't it?  
  
Story-  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
There was nothing that was said between the three men as they hurried back to the penthouse. Jason wasn't as injured as they first thought, although he was still bleeding considerably from the wound that he had taken for Sonny. When they got back to the penthouse they propped Jason on the couch, putting his leg on the table.  
  
Sonny hollered, "Carly!"  
  
"You okay?" Damian asked as he looked at the wound, which had stained Jason's pant leg an odd shade of crimson.  
  
"I've had better days," Jason remarked as he winced, one of the first showings that he was actually in pain.  
  
Carly came down as soon as she heard her husband's voice. She was about to ask what was wrong when she saw Jason's leg. "Oh my god, Jase!" Carly pushed passed Sonny and sat next to her dearest friend. "What happened?"  
  
"We were ambushed," Sonny said. "We got lucky, the people weren't as good as they thought they were. Jason took a bullet for me."  
  
"Just in the leg?" Carly asked.  
  
"Don't worry about me, Carly," Jason ordered. "I'll be fine."  
  
"You can keep on telling yourself that, Jase, but I know that you're feeling a world of hurt right now and I want to make sure that you're safe!" Carly looked at Sonny again, "Why aren't you taking him to the hospital?"  
  
"Because they're going to be waiting at the hospital for anyone that appeared to be in a gun fight, Carly." Sonny looked at his son, "How trained in these situations are you?"  
  
"You're going to let him do it?" Carly sneered, "He's not even a doctor!"  
  
"She's right, dad," Damian concurred with Carly, although he didn't enjoy the fact that he needed to do it. "I'm really not qualified to do anything. Uncle Jason's best chance is getting to a hospital. I don't think the wound if fatal, but it could still cause some complications if it isn't treated correctly."  
  
"I told you that wasn't an option!"  
  
"Sonny... you need to think about Jason's safety right now," Carly said softly.  
  
"I am! I don't want Jason to go to jail, Carly!" He eyed his son again, "Do what you know you can do!"  
  
"Sonny..."  
  
"Keep Michael upstairs," Sonny ordered. "I don't want him to see Jason like this, it will scare him."  
  
Carly got up, "It scares me." She was talking about more than just Jason's injury. She was also talking about how much she didn't trust her step-son's abilities to do the job that Sonny felt he could do. If she lost Jason... she'd never be able to survive being without him. Never. "Damian, if you don't help Jason you're going to be answering to me."  
  
"Don't worry about me, Carly," Jason said.  
  
"You worry about me all the time, Jase." She kissed him softly on the cheek. She didn't really care what Sonny thought about it. She knew that he knew that Jason was someone that was very precious to her. She loved him, but it wasn't like the love that she had for Sonny. "Now it's my turn."  
  
"Just make sure that Michael doesn't see anything, okay?" Jason asked.  
  
"Remember what I said," Carly told Damian.  
  
"You know that making me worry about my own safety when I should be worrying about someone else's isn't really a very good thing to be doing, Carly," Damian headed towards the bathroom in order to get the supplies that he would need. It would require bandages, peroxide, pliers and other such tools in order to get the bullet lodged out. Damian only hoped that it didn't go through any bone, because that would prove to be a lot harder and more painful. There was nothing in the house that would help numb Jason to the pain.  
  
Cutting off the pant leg at the knee hadn't been that hard, although Jason did look pretty strange with something that could be described as a half shorts half pants combination. Of course, given the fact that there were far more important things to be worrying about at that given moment, none of them cared much what anyone who happened to see Jason in his outfit would think.  
  
They were all fortunate that Damian had been certified in first aid long before Jason was shot. It was one of the first things that he did when he decided to walk the path of medicine and become a doctor. While it would take many years for him to actually become certified he still had the basic skills that would be needed to do a variety of skills, such as stop bleeding and splint a broken bone. Dislodging a bullet wasn't a skill that Damian was trained in, but he was good at improvising. The wound was noticeable now that all the blood had been cleaned off of Jason's leg. "Telling you that this is probably going to hurt won't actually give you any comfort, will it?"  
  
"Just get it done," Jason requested.  
  
Damian saw the bullet and let out a heavy sigh of relief, "Good, I was worried that the bullet might have gone into your bone, which would have made this whole process a lot less pleasant than it already is." Damian, his hands gloved, took the pliers and moved them around the wound. It wasn't a pretty sight, but it was necessary so the appeal of how it looked was hardly on anyone's mind. He felt the metal of the pliers touch the metal of the bullet and he clamped down on the handle, feeling as they stopped going down when they got a firm grip on the bullet. Damian pulled it out and placed it on a napkin. "I got it."  
  
"I told you," Sonny said. "I knew you wouldn't let me down."  
  
"I thought I did by going back to the docks," Damian said softly as he cleaned the wound with a cold towel before bandaging it up. "I heard the guns, dad. I knew that something bad was going to happen and I couldn't live with myself if I went through the rest of my life knowing that I could have done something to help you and I didn't."  
  
"We can take care of ourselves, Damian," Sonny said. "We've been doing it for years."  
  
"Could you have gotten this bullet out of him?" Damian asked as he finished tending to Jason's wound.  
  
"If I had to do it, I would have found a way," Sonny muttered. "But I'm glad you were here to help."  
  
"I've done what I can," Damian focused on Jason. "You'll need to change the bandages for a few days while it heals and keep it from being infected."  
  
Jason nodded, it was all the thanks he was going to give. He turned his attentions to Sonny, "I knew you'd be distracted."  
  
"I should have been more careful but instead I was foolish and you ended up getting hurt because of it. I'm sorry."  
  
"I told you that I could have handled everything."  
  
"I know... I'll make sure I don't make the same mistake next time."  
  
"You're going back out there?" Jason inquired.  
  
"You heard Asp, Jason. He said that he thought I was weak, that I was broken down. If people like him are really thinking that then I need to make sure that I'm at the top of my game in order to stop people from second guessing me. The only way I can do that is if I'm out there during every transaction."  
  
"Who was that guy you shot?" Damian wondered, throwing away the bloodied gloves and the bullet.  
  
"One of the last remains of my past with Scully. Now he's dead, that's all that matters."  
  
"Oh," Damian couldn't really think about anything else to say.  
  
"You're not going to get all righteous on me?" Sonny asked. "You're not going to tell me how you're against the fact that I ended a man's life tonight and didn't think about it."  
  
"He was going to kill you."  
  
"But he didn't."  
  
Damian nodded, "And that's what mattered. I'd much rather have you alive so that I can yell at you and give you some moral speech later." With a quick glance at Jason, "I'm going to plead with you both again to make it certain that I never have to do something like that again. It's hard enough looking at people I don't know and trying to fix them up, doing it for family... that'd be a whole different story. I'm sure telling you to stay off of your leg for a few days would just be a waste of breath, Uncle Jason, but I'm going to do it anyway."  
  
"I'll take it into consideration," Jason remarked.  
  
"That basically means that it went in one ear and out the other, doesn't it?" Damian asked Sonny.  
  
"What can I say, he's a stubborn man."  
  
"Got it from you, didn't he?"  
  
"I suppose I could take a part in the credit for the situation."  
  
Carly walked down. She had actually been keeping a close watch on the situation, but now that she knew everything was safe, she showed herself. "But Jason was always a stubborn person to begin with," She smiled as she hugged him. "I'm glad you're okay."  
  
"I told you not to worry," He said.  
  
"I can't help but worry when I see you hurt, Jase. You're like Superman. Nothing bad ever happens to you and when it does... it really scares me."  
  
"How's Michael?" Sonny asked.  
  
"Good," Carly grinned. "I don't think he even knows anything happened. I'm pretty sure he was busy playing a video game. He might already be in bed."  
  
"Daddy," Michael hopped down the stairs.  
  
"Or not." Carly looked over, "Shouldn't you be in bed, Mister Man?"  
  
"It's the weekend, I don't have anything to do tomorrow!" Michael hugged his father's leg, "Besides, I just wanted to say goodnight to daddy, so I needed to wait for him." It was at that moment that he saw Jason's leg, "What happened, Uncle Jason?"  
  
"I had an accident, buddy," Jason replied. For the most part it was true. "But everything's okay now."  
  
There was a knock at the door. Damian, being closest, answered it. "Uncle Ric?"  
  
Ric looked over at the gathered family, "You all look like you spent a nice day at home."  
  
"Why are you here, Ric?" Sonny wondered.  
  
"We've got a handful of dead mobsters on the pier. Fresh bodies. What can I say, big brother? My instinct tells me that you had something to do with it."  
  
"You have any evidence linking me to their deaths, Ric?"  
  
Ric shook his head, "Not you, no. Damian, I need to see your identification card for a moment, please."  
  
Damian grabbed his jacket, "Sure." He went into the pocket and found that it wasn't there, "Funny... it was in there earlier."  
  
"But it's in my hands now," Ric flashed the wallet. "And guess where I found it? At the scene of the crime..." 


	90. Into the Station

Notes: To hell with you, fanfiction.net! You prevent from posting not one, not two, BUT THREE DAYS! As promised, I will give you the days that you missed in one day.  
  
Story-  
  
Sonny took a few steps and took it upon himself to defend his son against his devilish half-brother. "That's circumstantial evidence and you know it, Ric."  
  
Ric glared at Sonny, "I've got dead bodies riddling the Port Charles docks, Sonny! People are going to be looking for answers and regardless of if you like it or not my job is to give them the answers that they want! It's the only lead I've got at the moment and I'm going to run with it." Ric stopped for a second and let the silence between him and his brother build. "That is... unless you have something you want to tell me."  
  
Sonny didn't look at Damian. He knew that Ric would pick up on any erratic movements that Sonny made, regardless of how small and unimportant they seemed. Regardless of how much Sonny loathed Ric as a person, he knew that Ric was damned good at his job. Not good enough to ever convict Sonny of anything, but he had gotten closer than most people had ever gotten. "I've got plenty of things I want to tell you, Ric. But I've got my little boy standing 5 feet away and I don't want him to hear the specific things I would mention."  
  
"How quaint that you're being protective of your son, Sonny. At least one of them." Ric held the door open, "Damian, you're coming down to the station with me and Officer Spencer for questioning."  
  
"My son is staying here!" Sonny roared.  
  
"Sonny, you can try and fight me all you want, but if this actually does go to court I'll be the one that gets the verdict because I have the evidence that has enough probable cause to at least merit questioning."  
  
"Daddy," Michael grabbed his father's hand. "Don't make Damian go away with the bad man! Don't let them take him to jail!"  
  
Ric and Lucky both looked at Michael for a moment before turning their eyes away. They had a job to do, and that was more important than saving the child's feelings. That didn't make it any easier... for either of them.  
  
Damian knelt down next to Michael, "Everything's going to be okay, Michael."  
  
Michael disagreed rather forcefully, "The last time someone went with that man he took my mommy and I didn't see her for a long time! He'll do the same to you!"  
  
"No, he won't," Damian felt that he was telling the truth. He didn't think that Ric would take him anywhere. Of course, he could have been wrong. He didn't quite understand how much his Uncle's hatred for his father had been seeded inside of Ric. Nonetheless, there were more than a few witnesses in tow that could easily have Ric in plenty of legal trouble should Damian... disappear. "I'll be back home before you know it. I promise."  
  
"Don't leave!"  
  
Damian tried to put on a smile, despite how much his brother's painful outburst was also hurting him. "Carly, take him upstairs, please."  
  
For once Carly actually listened to a request made by her step-son. She wanted to keep her son safe from everything that was going on around him just as much as Damian did. "Come on, sweetie."  
  
"I don't want to go!"  
  
"Michael, he promised you that everything would be okay, didn't he? Has he ever not gone through with a promise?" Michael fought her less and she carried him up the stairs.  
  
"You happy now, Ric?" Sonny asked. "You've further traumatized my young son with your sick vendetta against me! And you!" He pointed a finger at Lucky, "How can you stand by and allow this to happen? Michael's your cousin!"  
  
"We're just doing our job, Sonny," Lucky said. "Sometimes it means that you have to do things that you don't really agree with. I'm sure you're well aware of situations like that. Aren't you?"  
  
"You aren't taking my son down to that station against his will," Sonny stated firmly.  
  
"I'll go, dad," Damian said softly.  
  
"What?" Sonny was stunned.  
  
"I don't have anything to hide, do I?" Damian asked. "I had nothing to do with what happened at the pier and I know it. I could be convicted of a crime that I didn't commit, but I'd know that I was innocent and that would be enough to keep me going. If I need to comply with the police force in order to retain my name, I will."  
  
"You don't have to do this, I could have my attorney's on the PCPD without a second thought."  
  
"I have to do this," Damian headed out the door. "It's the right thing to do."  
  
Ric grabbed the door and looked back, "How did you manage to get a child that actually worked with the law, big brother?" Not giving Sonny enough time to actually respond, Ric closed the door. "Thank you for your cooperation."  
  
"I'm less than thrilled about the fact that you made such an ordeal in front of my little brother, your nephew," Damian noted. "But regardless of my feelings for your motives I do realize that you're doing what you have to do." He looked over at Lucky, "Carly's family?"  
  
"My cousin."  
  
"My condolences," Damian replied. "This is the part where you cuff me, isn't it?"  
  
"That won't be necessary," Ric told Lucky. "We only cuff the people who aren't being cooperative. You do realize that I've got no grounds to actually hold you yet. I only want to ask you some questions, but I need you to be down at the station so you can sign documents that you did give a statement. If you demand an attorney then we will detain you until one can be given."  
  
"I'm 21 years old, Uncle Ric. Having an attorney is one of the farthest things from my mind."  
  
"With you having the father that you have, Damian, it might be one of the things you take into consideration in the future." Ric hit the elevator button. None of the guards attempted to stop him. "Come on," Lucky and Damian followed him into the elevator and then the doors closed.  
  
Inside-  
  
Sonny was furious. How could his son have been so stupid as to leave something that could easily pin him down at the scene of a crime? How could he have just let his wallet drop to the ground like that without checking? Did he know nothing? Sonny picked up a glass and threw it against the wall, "Dammit!" As the many glasses that came before it had done, it shattered on impact. The act made Sonny feel better, but only for a few seconds. Right after, when the anger returned, it wasn't directed at Damian, it was directed at himself. He had been the one that pulled Damian into the life that he lead, regardless of how much Damian detested it and how much Sonny wanted to keep him away from it. Damian had never been in a situation like that. How was he to know that he should have checked for his wallet to make sure that it didn't fall out of the pocket of his jacket? Damian was innocent, he would have never thought about anything like that. The only thing on his mind was making sure that Jason was all right. Finally, after a considerable amount of further pacing, Sonny stopped. "I shouldn't have let him go."  
  
"You couldn't have stopped him," Jason said. Fortunately, neither Lucky or Ric had seen the fact that he was wounded. Or, if they had, they didn't say anything. Sonny and Carly did keep him as cloaked as possible. "Damian works differently than we do, Sonny. He wants to do what he thinks is the right thing and in this case it meant working with the law enforcement. Sometimes he lets his morals blind his better judgment."  
  
"I could have my lawyers over there to get him out. I don't care what Ric says, I'll find a way to make sure that Damian doesn't have any of this pinned on him!"  
  
"You know that he'd only think you were doing it for a selfish reason, Sonny," Jason mentioned. "He wanted to go, and if you try and get him out of there by using force it's only going to put more stress on your relationship with your son."  
  
"Jase is right, Sonny," Carly came down the stairs.  
  
"How's Michael doing?" Sonny asked.  
  
"I managed to calm him down a little bit," Carly said. "He's really afraid for Damian right now."  
  
"He's not the only one," Sonny muttered. "Damian's going to talk to Ric because he thinks that Ric won't use everything and anything that Damian says against him since Ric's family."  
  
"Maybe we should go down there," Carly said.  
  
"We?" Sonny cocked an eyebrow.  
  
"You and I both know how bad your temper is when you even get near Ric, Sonny. Mine's not much better, but I can at least control your temper enough to actually help Damian out a little."  
  
"There's no ulterior motive here, Carly?" Sonny asked.  
  
"I hate Ric as much as anyone else and I never want to see him take apart anyone, even the people that I don't much care for."  
  
Sonny nodded, "Someone should stay with Jason, though."  
  
"I'll be fine," Jason said. "If anything happens Courtney can help me."  
  
"Will you stay here just in case Michael comes down?" Carly asked as she went to get her coat. "I know he's got so many right now and I need to be with Sonny."  
  
Jason nodded, "I'll do what I can."  
  
Sonny and Carly left the home in a hurry.  
  
Port Charles Police Headquarters-  
  
Damian sat in the interrogation room. Ric was watching him, but wasn't in the room yet. He was actually hesitant. He didn't want to do this to his nephew. A part of him knew that Damian was innocent. He was too nice, too much unlike anyone else in this town save Courtney and Elizabeth to commit something like the massacre that had happened at the docks. That didn't mean he was entirely off the hook, though. He had to have been involved somehow... but how?  
  
"I know we have this rule where if you're more than twenty minutes late to a date it means that something came up in the office... but I just wanted to spend some time with you."  
  
Ric turned around and saw Elizabeth. "You... you shouldn't be here right now."  
  
"Why?" She wondered. "I heard about the docks, are things really bad here?"  
  
"You could say that," Ric muttered.  
  
Elizabeth looked in the room and was shocked, "Ric? Why is Damian here?"  
  
189 


	91. Past Not Forgotten

Note: I still hate fanfiction.net, bastards!  
  
Story-  
  
Ric constantly switched his eyes from focusing on his nephew to focusing on the woman that he loved, who had some unusual attachment to his nephew. For once, Ric was actually alleviated of any guilt that could be placed on him for whatever happened. He had nothing to do with Damian's trip to the station outside of the fact that he and Lucky were the two people that went and got him. He didn't fabricate any evidence, he didn't stalk... he didn't do anything. Would Elizabeth believe that? "Elizabeth... I need you to be perfectly honest with me right now. Can you do that?"  
  
Elizabeth looked at Ric, but her mind was still focused almost solely on Damian. "I can."  
  
"Do you think that I had something to do with Damian's detainment?"  
  
"Did you?"  
  
"Do you think I did?" Ric asked again. "I need an answer. Elizabeth, please."  
  
Elizabeth was silent. She didn't have an answer for Ric. A big part of her wanted to believe that he had nothing to do with the situation, but Ric had a history of striking at Sonny through the people that he cared about. He'd done it with Courtney and Carly, what would stop him from doing it through Damian as well? But she saw something in Ric's eyes. Grief. She had rarely seen such a feeling in the eyes of Ric Lansing before. She had only seen it when he admitted the mistakes of his past, mostly involving her. It showed his humanity, which was something that she often brought into question. Was the grief over how much he feared her thinking that he was guilty, or was that grief because he didn't want to see his nephew in this place? Maybe it was a little of both. Elizabeth really didn't know. "I want to believe that you didn't... Ric, but I really don't know for sure."  
  
Ric lowered his eyes. "Thank you... I know how hard it must be to admit that you don't trust me as I much as I trust you."  
  
"It isn't like that," Elizabeth murmured.  
  
"Isn't it?" Ric wondered. "I've never given you anything but reasons not to trust me, Elizabeth. I've tested your patience so many times and you've sworn that you would never have anything to do with me, despite my intentions to prove that we could be happy together. I don't know why, but I am blessed with the fact that you often return to me, give me another chance. I know I've blown those, too. But I am telling you, and I swear this on the love that I feel for you in my heart, which you know is the driving force in my life, that I had nothing to do with Damian being in that room other than the fact that I was the one that brought him in."  
  
"Why did you bring him in?" Elizabeth didn't admit that she believed Ric's speech, partly because she wasn't sure if she did or not. He had given her similar speeches before and always ended up lying through his teeth despite looking like he was being the most genuine person on the planet.  
  
"His wallet, with his identification, was found on the pier where there was apparently a shoot out. Elizabeth, a lot of people died and he's the only lead we've got."  
  
"Damian wouldn't kill anyone, Ric!" Elizabeth defended her friend. "You know how innocent he is. He hates violence. He probably doesn't even know how to hold a gun."  
  
"You don't need to know how to hold a gun in order to kill someone with it, Elizabeth," Ric countered with a tinge of sadness in his voice.  
  
"You think he did it, don't you?"  
  
Ric shook his head, "I believe what you believe, Elizabeth. Any child of my brother's that can see through the mistake's I've made in my life and still see me as a member of his family... there's no way that Damian could have done something this sinister."  
  
"So why aren't you letting him go?"  
  
"Because the system doesn't work like that," Ric stated. "As much as I hate to do it, he's the only link we've got. Just because he didn't do any of it doesn't mean that he's in the dark about what happened."  
  
"You think he's not telling you anything?"  
  
"Elizabeth, Damian is driven by an undying urge to protect the people that he cares about, his family. Would you condemn your father and your uncle to the possibility of life in prison or the death penalty?"  
  
"He doesn't believe in lying, Ric," Elizabeth looked at Damian in the room, her eyes held back the tears that she felt. Seeing him in there, knowing that he was innocent of what they were probably going to charge him with, it was hard.  
  
"He's got a choice that he has to make, Elizabeth. He can either betray his morals or he can betray his family. If you were Damian, which would you choose?"  
  
Before Elizabeth could answer, a very familiar voice filled the hallway. "You'd better have a damned good reason for taking me away from my private time, Lansing!"  
  
Ric looked over at Scott Baldwin. Despite being his boss, despite being the District Attorney of Port Charles and despite being a man that Ric should have looked up to as a mentor he just couldn't hide the fact that he did not like Scott Baldwin at all. Sonny was a dirty criminal, but people didn't expect him to be anything else but dirty. Scott Baldwin, on the other hand was dirty when he was supposed to be working on the side of the angels. Scott was more corrupted than anyone that Ric knew, and that list included himself. It said a lot about Scott's character, or severe lack there of. "Obviously your 'personal time,' as you put it, takes precedence over the people that you're sworn to protect."  
  
"Don't question my ethics, Lansing. I might take that from a very select group of people, but never you. Tell me why the hell I'm here or I will see to it that you are stripped from your position faster than you can fake having a change of heart."  
  
Ric wanted to come back with something equally scathing He wanted to expose Scott for the crooked lawman that he was. He wanted to do so many things. A part of him, possibly the part of him that was his link to Sonny, wanted to find a way to insure that Scott Baldwin ended up dead. But none of those desires made it past his mind as soon as he felt Elizabeth's soft hand touching his own hand. She soothed him, as she had done in the past and would hopefully do in the future. "There was a gun fight on the docks, Scott. Over half a dozen people are dead."  
  
"Why aren't Corinthos and Morgan here?" Scott asked, almost screaming. "We all know that when the body count even makes a blip on the radar they've got something to do with it."  
  
"Regardless of it that is true or not we've got no evidence linking either of them to the scene of the crime."  
  
"They're good at covering up their tracks," Scott admitted. "Always have been, probably always will be."  
  
"They might be good at it, but not everyone can be as skilled as they are."  
  
Scott's face gleamed, "You busted someone already?"  
  
"I'm surprised you didn't notice him in the interrogation room already. You're usually so pleased when we've got someone in there."  
  
Scott, almost acting like a kid in a candy store, pranced over to the window and looked in. When he saw the face, a face that he recognized, he was quite giddy. "Corinthos's bastard boy!"  
  
"His name is Damian," Elizabeth pointed out.  
  
"I know what his name is," Scott countered. "I just happen to like my nickname for him a whole lot more."  
  
"A lot of us like the nicknames that we have for you a lot more, but we still call you Scott." Elizabeth smirked. She wasn't going to let Scott drag Damian down for something that he didn't do. Not if she could help it.  
  
"I'm in a position of power, he's not."  
  
"Some people would think that being the son of Sonny Corinthos was enough to merit being considered a position of power," Elizabeth held onto Ric, more for herself. She wanted to hurt Scott as well.  
  
"You know something, Elizabeth, I've known you for a pretty long time and I saw the way that you dumped Morgan like he was scum when you found out what he did. You're one of the few people in this burg of mine that I actually don't have to watch my back when I'm around, and I like that about you." Scott walked up to Elizabeth, "But I can't figure out any reason why you would even think about defending someone like that kid in there. He represents everything that you hate."  
  
"I don't hate being a good person who loves their family and would do anything to protect them," Elizabeth pointed out. "Those are just a few of the things that Damian represents to me. He's a good person, and he didn't have anything to do with what happened at the docks."  
  
"The evidence that we've got appears to point otherwise, lady," Scott snickered. "Your morally upright dear friend obviously decided to enter the family trade."  
  
"You think that just because he has Sonny's blood in his veins that he's going to do the same things that Sonny does?"  
  
"I've reasons to believe that, yes."  
  
"Well let's just hope that your daughter doesn't end up being as morally corrupt as her dear daddy," Elizabeth snapped.  
  
Scott's brow furrowed. He wasn't about to allow himself to be called a bad father. Elizabeth was quickly getting on his last nerve. He was going to throw her out when Lucky came in, "The press wants you."  
  
"Tell them I'm busy," Scott ordered.  
  
"You're the District Attorney and there has been yet another instance of organized crime on the streets that you've sworn you were going to keep safe! I think it would be incredibly stupid of you to ignore the press right now, Baldwin. They'll post a story about you if you don't, and it will severely hurt any chance you've got of getting re-elected." Lucky was now up in Scott's face, "You know you want to be in the limelight as much as you can, Scott. Now's your chance."  
  
"When I try and think how someone as pure and beautiful as Laura could have had a hand in creating something like you, Lucky... I can't help but be disgusted," Scott turned and walked out of the police station. The moment he took a step out the light bulbs started to flash.  
  
Elizabeth pulled away from Ric to stand by Lucky. Their once devoted love had since cooled to friendship, but it was still a strong friendship and they did care for one another. She knew how much Laura's descent into insanity still hurt Lucky. The wound was deep, and it would never heal fully. "You okay?"  
  
"I'll be fine," Lucky smiled, although Elizabeth knew it was fake and was supposed to comfort her. It didn't.  
  
She let it go, though. Lucky would talk to her if he wanted to talk. "You didn't have to tell him anything, you know."  
  
"I know how Baldwin works, Liz," Lucky said. "My dad's done more than enough rounds with him and I've taken notes. He was about to do something very unpleasant and it would have been directed at you. I couldn't let that happen."  
  
"Well, thank you," Elizabeth smiled before she looked at Ric again. "How long has he been in there?"  
  
"Not very long."  
  
"Shouldn't someone be talking to him about what went on, what he knows? I've been in this place waiting for people to get out enough times to know that's how it tends to go."  
  
"I suppose I should go in there," Ric said as he took a few steps forward.  
  
"I could go in there with you, if you want," Elizabeth offered.  
  
Ric shook his head, "No, that's not how we do things here. I do appreciate the offer, though. Lucky, think you can keep her company while she waits? If she wants to stay, that is."  
  
"I won't be going anywhere," Elizabeth stated.  
  
"I had a feeling that you wouldn't," Ric opened the door and walked in. Damian looked up at him, "Why don't we talk?" 


	92. Uncle and Nephew

Note: Fabled chapter 100 is fast approaching. I wonder, do I have to start a new story when I get to that? Never gotten this far before. Hmm. Questions.  
  
Story-  
  
"I was wondering how long I'd have to wait in here," Damian muttered as he eyed Ric cautiously. Uncle or not, Damian didn't trust Ric. He had very little reason to actually trust Ric. That didn't mean he wasn't family, of course. Damian didn't trust any of his other Uncle's back in Los Angeles, either.  
  
"You have to understand that this whole thing has put us in a bit of a pickle," Ric sat down in the chair across from Damian. "You're the only link to the massacre that took place earlier today, Damian. You were the one that we have identification on."  
  
"I dropped my wallet, Uncle Ric. People do that all the time."  
  
"People don't drop their wallets when people are lying dead or dying on the floor ten feet away from them," Ric countered. "Look, I want to help you."  
  
"You do?"  
  
"Yes, Damian, I do."  
  
"Do I want your help?" Damian asked. "I've heard many stories about you and none of them are particularly pleasant."  
  
"You're right, I've done some horrid things in my past. But those things are going to remain in my past. I'm not going to kidnap Carly and hold her in the panic room again."  
  
"Because she doesn't have a baby for you to steal anymore."  
  
"That's not something you should even be concerning yourself with right now, you know," Ric mentioned. "You could be prosecuted and you could go to Prison for a very long time if they don't just kill you."  
  
"I didn't kill any of those people."  
  
"The evidence suggests that you were at the scene of the crime."  
  
"I could have dropped that wallet at any time of the day," Damian stated. "The docks are, after all, a public place that hundreds of people go across on a daily basis."  
  
"Not many of those people have blood connections to Sonny Corinthos. Your father is a known criminal."  
  
"He's never been convicted of anything."  
  
Ric laughed, "My big brother has a way of getting himself around the law, Damian. Just like he has a way of getting around any sort of parental obligations he had to you when you were growing up. Simply because he got away with those things doesn't mean he didn't do them."  
  
"Don't compare my relationship with my dad to the activities that he may or may not have done," Damian made his voice as blank as possible. "He didn't have any idea that I was even born, let alone his child."  
  
"You think that if he did know he would have gone to your side? Been the dutiful father that would take you to baseball games and teach you about the finer things in life?" Ric shook his head. "You've seen the way he leads his life. You've seen the way he controls Michael's every move. Michael barely ever gets out of that fortress that Sonny built for him. He has almost no friends because Sonny doesn't let him actually go out and build relationships with other children. He's never going to be the ideal father, Damian!"  
  
"I never expected my father to be the sort of American typecast loving father, Uncle Ric! No one is that perfect. Dad has his flaws, but he's a good father to Michael and Morgan."  
  
"What about to you?" Ric asked.  
  
"I don't need a father like they do," Damian stated. "I'm an adult. I can make my own choices."  
  
"You're twenty-one and you're living at home with your father."  
  
"I want to build a good relationship with my family. I can do that a whole lot better if I'm living with them than if I'm living above Kelly's."  
  
"I know you're hiding something from me, Damian," Ric sighed. "I've seen Sonny do this to so many people. He makes himself look too trustworthy so easily and then people will all but ruin their own lives in order to protect his name, which is already tarnished to the point of no return. I really didn't think that you would be added to that list."  
  
"I didn't do anything wrong. I wasn't involved in that event."  
  
"But do you know who was?" Ric asked. "The only way that you can save yourself is if you tell me who was there, what you saw."  
  
Damian stared at Ric, trying to read his face. It wasn't all that successful. Ric was good at keeping his emotions hidden if he felt it was needed. It was one of the reasons that he was able to stay around Sonny for so long before he revealed the fact that they were brothers. "I don't have to tell you anything, do I?"  
  
Ric shook his head, "You can demand to speak with your attorney and that would basically stop the whole process."  
  
"I told you before, I don't have an attorney."  
  
"Then what have you got to lose?" Ric made the offer sound as good as possible. If he could bust Sonny and Jason he would. It wasn't an all consuming quest these days, but it was still a rather high point on his daily agenda.  
  
"Everything," Damian answered. "But you don't seem to have anything to lose, do you? If I tell you what you want to hear, which may or may not be what actually happened, you can use it to put my father and my Uncle Jason away for a very long time. That would make you a very happy man."  
  
"Yes, it would."  
  
"But even if I don't tell you what you want, you still get paid for doing this little talk, and you lose no sleep."  
  
"I don't like seeing you in here for something that I know you didn't do."  
  
"Then let me out," Damian was already fed up with the conversation. "It doesn't seem like it would be that hard."  
  
"Things are a lot more complicated in this business than you are willing to allow yourself to believe. It doesn't work like that." Ric got out of the seat, "I need to console with some people."  
  
Outside-  
  
Scott smiled as he made the statements to the varied members of the press that were outside. They asked him the typical questions: What had happened? How many were dead? Who was involved? When would action be taken? Scott had played this game many times in his life, he knew what answers to give them in order to satisfy their needs. As he was nearing the close of his speech, he saw Sonny and Carly walking up. Knowing that he could use the moment, he did. "This is just another incident in the long line of horrid and violent attacks that have taken place in our small town. I have managed to do what I can, but until common criminals like Sonny Corinthos and his brood are placed in custody without chance of leaving there is no true way to rid Port Charles of the demons that plague it."  
  
Sonny pushed past the press, Carly holding his hand. He said nothing as they asked him questions, but he did look at Scott.  
  
"Your son is a chip off the old block, Corinthos," Scott stated. "Barely been in town a month and he's already amassed a kill count that rivals yours. You should be proud."  
  
Sonny was going to say something, and Carly knew that it wouldn't have been worth it. She grabbed his shoulder and shook her head, "Sonny, it isn't worth it. He's not worth it."  
  
"My son had nothing to do with this," Sonny whispered as he walked past. He meant every word.  
  
Ric walked up to Elizabeth, "Just like we thought, he's not talking."  
  
"You can't do anything?" Elizabeth was almost pleading.  
  
"Honey, if I could get past the fact that it was his wallet, I would. If we had anything else to go with, I would toss it out. But we don't. This is the only thing that we have."  
  
"It isn't enough to keep my boy, Ric," Sonny said as he and Carly walked up.  
  
"I was wondering when you were going to get here, big brother," Ric stated with a light groan.  
  
"Let Damian out of that room so I can take him home. Now."  
  
"If I don't do what you're asking I suppose you're going to threaten to throw another lawsuit against the department."  
  
"Maybe I'll just throw the lawsuit against you," Sonny countered. "You've got enough money from the shady deals you make."  
  
"Not nearly as much as you," Ric snapped back.  
  
"Are you going to let him out?" Sonny pushed the issue further. "Or are you going to try my patience? You know what happens to people that don't give me what I want."  
  
"They disappear."  
  
"And reappear in little pieces."  
  
"Sonny, stop," Carly said, tugging on him gently. "We came to get Damian out of here and take him home. This isn't the place to take on Ric."  
  
"If you even try to get this in court, Ric, I'll get the best people that money can buy to defend my son. You know that I can do it."  
  
"I've learned that I should never underestimate you, Sonny," Ric opened the door to the interrogation room and turned his attentions to Damian, "You're free to go." As Damian walked past him, Ric made another comment, "I suppose it's safe to assume that you won't disappear from the country unannounced while the investigation into your involvement is still pending?"  
  
"I've got nothing to hide, Uncle Ric."  
  
Ric snickered a bit while he cautiously eyed Sonny, "Why don't I believe that?"  
  
"Don't say anything to him, Damian," Sonny advised. "From now on the only talking you do to these people will be through my attorneys. Come on."  
  
198 


	93. Nefarious

Kayla- It's easy to see why people wouldn't want to trust Ric after everything he's done, a very understandable stance to be taken on Mr. Lansing. Maybe, just maybe, I can do something about that. As for when Mac and Maxie find out... well, you'll just have to keep on reading, won't you? Barring any evil setbacks from the devil known as Fanfiction.net, they should know by the middle of the week.  
  
Story-  
  
With Sonny, Carly, and Damian gone, Ric was now able to express his discomfort in the situation that he had been placed under. He did so in a rather unique way, by slamming his fist into the desk. The wooden desk trembled slightly under the force that had been placed on it. Ric winced as the moment passed and his hand registered the pain. "I always have to let them walk."  
  
"You didn't have anything to keep him here, Ric," Elizabeth grabbed his hand and looked at it. "Taking your anger out on yourself isn't going to do anyone any good, you know?"  
  
"I had to do something," Ric said. "I couldn't just stay docile while I watched my brother work his way around the system again."  
  
"Damian's innocent," Elizabeth mentioned. "You know it."  
  
"And you know that Sonny is the one that is really guilty of killing those people," Ric's hatred was easy to tell. It wasn't hatred for his brother entirely, it was hatred for the system that he had pledged to uphold being so blind that it would continually let someone like Sonny walk away time and time again. "But he's never going to actually face any repercussions for the actions that he took. Instead he's going to let his own son take the blame for the entire situation and then still walk away. He has no conscience, Elizabeth."  
  
"There's nothing you can do about that," She told him, trying to keep him calm. She knew that Ric was very easy to break, especially when it came to Sonny. If Ric reached that threshold and was pushed over there was no telling what actions he would take. She could try to tether him, but there was no telling how long it would actually work. She had tried to be the thing that Ric could look forward to in life outside of Sonny before, it did not go very well.  
  
"Tell me I did not see what I just thought I saw," Scott walked back in. "Surely there was no way in hell that Corinthos and his family walked out of here without being escorted in handcuffs!"  
  
"We've got no reason to keep Damian Zuniga detained, Scott," Ric said. "Sonny knows it, and threatened to place a malpractice suit on the department."  
  
"I don't care what that criminal threatened to do, we do not bend for anyone!"  
  
"Look, Scott," Ric began as he got right into his boss's face, "I know how much you hate the fact that you can never bust Sonny, and I respect that and sympathize. But I also know how blind you get when you think that you're right, which happens far too often and even then you're almost always wrong. Plus, I'm also more than aware of the fact that this department has had more than it's fair share of civil suits for malpractice filed against it over the years, most of which took a spike when you became the district attorney. You're up for re-election soon, aren't you? How good would it look if you took some innocent college kid who just wants to become a doctor so that he can help people in a way that he was never helped was held here with no actual legit reason to hold him? Never mind the fact that Sonny would probably find some way to actually get his son out regardless of how legal or not it was for a moment, would you? Just think about how many people would drop their opinion of you the minute they heard what you did."  
  
"I didn't give you this job to stand against me, Lansing!" Scott barked. "I gave it to you so that you could support me in my decisions."  
  
"And I do support you, Scott. When you make the correct ones. Sadly, that doesn't happen very often, does it?"  
  
"We've got evidence."  
  
"It's entirely circumstantial," Ric noted. "The pier is a public place that people traverse on a daily basis. How are we to know that Damian wasn't there earlier and just happened to drop his wallet hours before the shootings happened? We've got nothing outside of that wallet that pins him or anyone else to the scene."  
  
"You know who did this!" Scott yelled. "We all know that this is just another crime courtesy of that brother of yours!"  
  
"We've got no proof linking Sonny to any of this. We don't even have proof linking him to being on the docks today!"  
  
"You know he did it," Scott's face was becoming more enraged by the moment.  
  
"I know a lot of things!" Ric yelled back. "I know that you're nowhere near as morally secure as you claim to be. I know that, if you could, you'd find a way to kill every single person that stands in your way provided that you could get away with it. I know that I'm probably on that list, and I know that I don't trust you."  
  
"I should be your best friend, Lansing."  
  
"I've got my best friend right here," Ric grabbed Elizabeth's hand. "Someone that I can trust with my life if I need to trust someone with it."  
  
"She can't keep you safe from the system, I can." Scott grinned. "If Corinthos ever does turn up sleeping with fishes, who do you think is going to be the first person that we place the blame on?"  
  
"Sonny has plenty of enemies that would want to see him dead more than I do," Ric defended himself.  
  
"You've still got the brains to do it, and that's what separates you from the people like Faith and Alcazar. They might have plans, but those plans couldn't anywhere near as meticulous as the plans that you could think up in that twisted little head of yours. That's one of the reasons I hired you, Lansing. You understand how the criminal mind works because you're not that much better then the scum that we bring in on a daily basis." Scott looked at Elizabeth, "You cloud the minds of good women just as easily as your brother. Look at what he did to Lily and Brenda. Carly, I'll admit, isn't exactly the most stable person on the planet so we're keeping her out of the equation, but they were good women and now they're either dead or not going anywhere near this town for a very long time."  
  
Elizabeth tugged at Ric's arm, "Let's go, Ric. There's nothing more you can do here, is there?"  
  
"No, I suppose there isn't," Ric grabbed his coat. "This place is already beginning to depress me."  
  
"Bye, Lucky," Elizabeth said her farewell to her dear friend as she walked out with Ric.  
  
"I don't know why you let her go," Scott told Lucky as Elizabeth turned the corner. "She's got a temper, but she's still one of the few decent women that we've got around here."  
  
"We needed each other at a time in our lives, but we've both grown up since then," Lucky said as he began to walk away. "We're still friends and we still care about each other to the point that we would look out for each other no matter what. I'm not sure that you would know what it's like to actually have friends like that."  
  
"I had everything... until your father came and destroyed it all," Scott's voice had actually dropped from the irate tone that it was in to an almost remorseful one. It wasn't easy for him to accept everything that had happened to him. How he lost Laura to Luke. Everything after that was a continual downward spiral. There were a few times when things would look up, but for the most part it was all a pit of despair that centered around that one event.  
  
"My father's responsible for many things, Baldwin, and very few of them are things that I would want anyone to know, but he is not responsible for what happened to you and my mother. You brought that all on yourself."  
  
"Funny, I don't recall myself raping Laura."  
  
Lucky stopped himself. Scott had pushed his button, the one thing that would always pain him. It was a low blow, and they both knew it. However, Scott didn't care. He didn't care that Lucky was Laura's child, that Laura loved him very much. Lucky wasn't his, and that was all that mattered. "Only out of respect for the fact that my mother still, on some level, cared for you even after all the things that happened am I not punching you in the face."  
  
"You'd lose your badge, Spencer," Scott said.  
  
"Some things are more important than my job, but you would never be that important, Baldwin. You're not worth it."  
  
Outside-  
  
"Hey," Elizabeth said softly into Ric's ear. "You going to be okay?"  
  
"I lost my temper, again... I shouldn't have."  
  
"Scott's a horrible person, Ric. He knows the ways to cause you to lose your temper and he used them. Don't blame yourself. He's been doing it for years, even before you came around."  
  
"He's good at it." Ric looked up at the night sky.  
  
"Yeah, he is. It's gotten him into more trouble than anyone should ever be in, though."  
  
"Can we talk about something else?" Ric asked. "I'd really rather get my mind off of Scott Baldwin for now."  
  
"What do you want to talk about?"  
  
Ric smiled, "How much I love you."  
  
Elizabeth blushed, "You pick the worst times to tell me these things, you know?"  
  
"No, this is the perfect time," Ric said. "You helped me keep my job in there, Elizabeth. I probably would have gone off the deep end if you hadn't been there to calm me. Lucky wouldn't have tried, he wouldn't have cared if I kept my position or not. You're the only person that can actually curb my lust for vengeance, and I want to thank you for that."  
  
"I was able to do it today, Ric," Elizabeth murmured. "But how many times have I tried to stop you from letting your thirst for revenge get the better of you? How many times have I failed and only gotten myself hurt?"  
  
"We can never get past that, can we?" Ric asked sadly.  
  
"I wish we could, but it will always be there," Elizabeth stated. "You're a changed man, though. You're a better man now than you ever were before. You understand things about human nature that you blinded yourself to when you first got here."  
  
"I don't want to send that kid to jail for something that I know he didn't do, Elizabeth."  
  
"Then don't."  
  
"I wish it were that simple, but it's always more complex than that," Ric sighed. "He's the only link that we have, and everyone knows that he does know something, even though he's hiding it. The question is... what?"  
  
Inside-  
  
Scott walked into his office and slammed the door, causing it to shut with a mighty thud. No one believed that Damian was the guilty party, but Scott wasn't going to let them walk away with a clean slate again. He sat in his chair and pondered ways to make sure that somehow, someway, that kid got put away...  
  
202 


	94. Holding Back

Notes: Curse that infernal Sage! She ruined a fleeting moment of the ways of GQ!!! Everything felt right and then she had to go and screw it up. Accursed, vile being.  
  
Story-  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
There wasn't a word said all the way back to the penthouse from the police station. Damian wasn't entirely sure what he could say. Anything he could have said would possibly be used against him unless he was in the safety of his father's home. The same could be said for Sonny and Carly. Anything that they said to Damian could easily be used against the boy. The only way to keep him safe from prying eyes and ears would be to get home as fast as they could and talk about it then.  
  
Of course, even with all the problems that were happening to him, Damian was still much more concerned with how Maxie was doing. She had gone through recent traumatic times and might not have been in the most stable mindset. He thought about calling her, but again he stopped himself deciding that she would talk to him when she felt it was time. Plus, with her father as the commissioner there was no doubt in Damian's mind that Mac knew what had happened at the pier and that he would be well aware of the fact that Damian was indeed involved with the entire situation. Mac would likely use everything that he could to bring Damian down and prove to himself that Damian wasn't worthy of his daughters affections. Damian certainly hoped that he would be found innocent of the crime that he had nothing to do with. All he wanted to do was get some rest, but he knew that wouldn't be an option.  
  
Jason was still on the couch. He hadn't moved since Damian worked on his leg, or at least he didn't appear to have moved at all. He still sat in the same position. His bandage was just starting to show a hint of the small amount of blood that still trickled out of the wound. At least it wasn't bleeding as much as it was when Jason had gotten himself shot, which was a good sign for all involved. "How'd it go?" Jason asked. It was obvious that he wasn't asking Damian. He was asking Sonny and Carly.  
  
Sonny answered, "They're trying to use circumstantial evidence against Damian and put him away for killing all of those people."  
  
"I was able to walk away, isn't that a good thing?" Damian asked.  
  
"You were only able to walk out of that room without being thrown in one of the cells because I was there to point out that they had no reason to hold you."  
  
"Sorry," Damian muttered. "I've never been put in an interrogation room before I came here."  
  
"I have," Sonny said. "You're lucky."  
  
"Lucky how?"  
  
"Lucky that I was able to get you out of there," Sonny sat down. "What were you thinking? You should have known that your wallet had fallen out of your jacket."  
  
"I was a little too preoccupied seeing my father shoot a man in the chest after watching my uncle get shot to notice that something so unimportant like my wallet had managed to fall out of my jacket," Damian poured himself some water. He was thirsty and very afraid of what was going to happen.  
  
"How's Michael?" Carly asked Jason.  
  
"He tried to stay up and wait for you to come home, but he couldn't. He fell asleep on the couch but I called Courtney over and had her carry him up the stairs. I would have done it, but I don't think I should be putting any extra weight on my leg right now."  
  
"Is Courtney still up there with him?" Carly kept herself from looking at Jason's wound. He was like her Superman, if he was hurt it made her feel less secure about everything. He would recover... this time.  
  
"Yeah, she figured that she should stay up there with him in case he woke up."  
  
Carly smiled, "Thanks for watching him, Jase." She walked past him, putting her hand gently on his shoulder for a moment before heading up the stairs.  
  
"You see why I have to do everything the way I do it now?" Sonny asked. "If I slip up, even a little bit, someone will come around and find a way to send me or the people that I care about into a downward spiral."  
  
"I'm sorry, dad!" Damian exclaimed. "I'm sorry that I can't be as effective in keeping myself one step ahead of the law as you can. I never thought I would need to be taught in the ways of covering up a shooting scene."  
  
"That's your problem. No matter how smart you are you never think about what could happen."  
  
"What is going to happen?" Damian wondered. "Am I going to jail?"  
  
"Not if I can help it," Sonny said. "You had nothing to do with what happened earlier today."  
  
"But you did."  
  
"That's my business," Sonny snapped back. "You should have never been there to begin with. You should have just kept on walking home like we told you."  
  
"I wasn't going to stand around and turn a blind eye to the fact that I heard guns being fired in an area that I knew you two were at," Damian gripped the glass tightly. "I had to make sure that you were all right. I couldn't stand being the one that would have to come here and tell Michael that you were dead, dad. That you were never coming home again."  
  
"I don't need your protection," Sonny's voice was filled with regret. He could have gotten his son killed because Damian was too busy worrying about him. "I don't need anyone's protection."  
  
"You needed Uncle Jason's today," Damian pointed out. "If he wouldn't have pushed you out of the way that bullet would have went right through you and you probably would have died."  
  
"It's a risk that I take every time I go outside and conduct my business, Damian. I never know for sure if I'm going to be coming home."  
  
"I want to be sure that you always come home," Damian admitted. "Is it so wrong that I want to keep you safe?"  
  
"No, it isn't. But it is wrong that you're willing to throw yourself away in order to keep me safe. That I couldn't survive. I can keep myself as safe as I possibly can, but if I failed one of you. If I failed you... again, like I did when I let you grow up thinking that you didn't have a father who cared about you... I couldn't stand that. I couldn't live with myself if I had to come to terms with the knowledge that you sacrificed yourself for me."  
  
"You didn't fail me as a father growing up," Damian had no trouble admitting that. He was very aware of the fact that Sonny didn't even know that he existed. He held the fact that Sonny lied to him against his father, but not the fact that Sonny couldn't be there for him growing up.  
  
"I failed myself," Sonny confessed again. "You know how I feel about being the type of father that my father was."  
  
"Please stop beating yourself up for Grandpa's mistakes," Damian was almost begging. But he knew that begging his father to do anything wasn't going to get any results. Sonny hated beggars, they reminded him too much of Mike. "Your father is the person that he is and you're the person that you are."  
  
"I can't..."  
  
"I know. As much as I try to think that you can stop beating yourself up over your childhood, I know that there is some part of you that will never let go of it, dad. I respect that, but I still wish it could be otherwise."  
  
"So do I."  
  
Damian nodded, "But you see how I feel then, right? You see that there are things about each of us that we can never give up no matter how hard we try. I'm always going to worry about my family, dad. I'm always going to put myself in the line of fire if I think I can even stand a chance at keeping anybody that I care about safe. If it means that I end up being taken away in a body bag, then so be it. I can take that last breath with the knowledge that I saved someone I loved and not have any regrets."  
  
Sonny had immense respect for his son, but he still thought that the way Damian lived his life was foolish and far too simplistic. "Must everything be so black and white with you, Damian?"  
  
"If I let it get any more complicated I couldn't get up in the morning," Damian sighed. "I've worked my entire life building up the same kind of wall that you have, dad. It's the only thing that lets me sleep and night and sometimes keeps me from having nightmares. If I let myself go, if I let that part of me that I keep sheltered away so that no one can hurt it, I might not survive."  
  
"Would you give it to Ana?"  
  
Damian's eye showed his pain. "Why do you think I keep it from everyone now, dad? My mother was my life, the one person that I could give myself to entirely. She died and I almost died with her. I can't give myself up to anyone like that anymore, not even to myself. If I have to go through that kind of pain again... I might not get so lucky. I'm not nearly as strong as people seem to think I am. They don't know what goes through my head when I'm acting like everything in life is just perfect. A very few select people do, but that's not a number that increases very often."  
  
"You can't blame yourself for what happened to your mother the same way I can't blame myself for the childhood that I had," Sonny sighed. "I know how you feel, though. It's hard thinking about the mistakes that you've made in the past and trying to shape yourself into a better person. It might be impossible."  
  
"It might be," Damian agreed. "But anything is possible, I suppose." Damian headed towards his room.  
  
"Damian..." When Sonny called his name out, the boy stopped. "You know that you can't tell anyone about what happened today, right? You can't tell Maxie, you can't tell Elizabeth, you can't tell Bobbie. The only people that you can talk to about this are me, Jason, Carly, and Courtney. We're the only people that you can trust with this information."  
  
"I know who I can trust," Damian said without looking at his father. "Goodnight."  
  
Sonny heard the door close and he looked at Jason, "You think he's right... about me?"  
  
"Sonny, you have your own motives for doing everything," Jason turned his cold but compassionate blue eyes on his best friend. "You're the only one who truly understands how the things that go on in your head work."  
  
"But do you think that he's right about me holding myself in the past too much?"  
  
"Some people's pasts affect who they are in the future," Jason chose his words carefully. His past had next to nothing to do with the person that he was now. "Your step-father put you through hell, Sonny. You learned from that period of your life and you've used it to become a better person than you could have been."  
  
"Do you think he sees that?" Sonny asked.  
  
"Whom? Damian?"  
  
"Yeah," Sonny lied partially. His son was one of the people that he was wondering about. But the true person he was wondering about was God.  
  
"I can't answer that question," Jason admitted.  
  
"No," Sonny quietly mused to himself. "I guess you can't..." 


	95. Bitter Pills

Port Charles Police Department, Saturday Morning-  
  
It shouldn't have been surprising that something of such a caliber had happened at the pier. There was always something going down in Port Charles that would send the entire police department into a frantic state. They should have been long prepared for such an occurrence. But they weren't. Some of the squad had spent the entire night working on the scene, cleaning up the blood and removing the bodies from the area. Some would be haunted by the images that they saw for as long as they lived, but they got the job done regardless of how much they protested.  
  
There was only one person that was entirely in the dark with the situation. Mac had no idea what had happened the night before. He and his daughters had spent the day together. Mac took a personal day, because he knew that his girls needed him to help adjust to the fact that their mother was injured and halfway around the continent. Maxie still opposed the idea of seeing Felicia. Mac wouldn't push her. He tried that, and all it did was push her away and make her run from him. He didn't want to lose her in the same way he lost so many other people in his life. He pondered asking Damian for his assistance in the matter. If she would listen to anyone... it would be him. And Mac could see why she trusted him and valued him so much now. He didn't take advantage of her when he could. He didn't try and shape her into a person that he wanted her to be. Damian let Maxie be Maxie, which was something that Kyle never did. It was something that Mac didn't necessarily do either. He wanted Maxie to be his little girl forever. Even though he saw that she was a young woman, a part of him wouldn't accept it. That part of him was pushing them apart, and he didn't want that.  
  
So caught up in his thoughts was Mac that he didn't even notice the soul- sucking glare of Scott Baldwin, who was standing in front of his desk. "Scorpio!"  
  
Mac turned his eyes up, "Scott?"  
  
"Where were you last night?" Scott asked.  
  
"I was spending time with my daughters. They needed me. I told everyone not to bother me no matter what happened."  
  
"You have a duty to this city!"  
  
"I have a duty to keep my daughters as happy as I possibly can!" Mac stood up. He didn't have the time to deal with Scott's whining, not today. "Unlike you, I try and spend as much time with my daughters as I can. I don't want to look back and say that I couldn't watch them grow up and become the beautiful young women that I know they're going to become."  
  
"My daughter and I have a good relationship," Scott defended himself.  
  
"Do you really?" Mac wondered. "When's the last time you were there for Serena when she needed her father? When did you actually take the time off to make sure that everything was okay with her?"  
  
Scott, not able to find a decent answer, mostly because he didn't have one, changed the subject, "You don't even know what happened last night, do you?"  
  
"I told you, Baldwin, I was spending time with my daughters. The City of Port Charles can still manage to be in one piece if I'm not spending every waking moment trying to protect it!"  
  
Scott chuckled, "Don't be so sure about that, Commissioner," Scott threw the morning paper down on Mac's desk. "Take a look at what happened while you were taking your little personal vacation."  
  
Mac read the headline: 'Mobsters dead in pier shootout. Police with little answers.' Mac sighed, "Dammit."  
  
"You're lucky that I know how much you love those girls, Mac. Because if you didn't have them I would yank that badge from you so fast that you wouldn't even see my hands take it."  
  
"Gloat later, Scott. Tell me what happened."  
  
"The headline says it all, don't you think?"  
  
"What do we know?"  
  
"The same thing that we always know when it comes to crime in this city. Corinthos and Morgan were involved with the situation somehow."  
  
"And we've got no evidence that can pin them to the scene, like usual, right?" Mac hated not being able to give the people of Port Charles the answers that they wanted just as much, if not more than Scott. Of course, his reasons were much more noble than Scott's could ever hope to be, not that Mac would ever actually make that statement. He didn't like Scott, he didn't fear him, but he knew that Scott had enough power to take away all the hard work that Mac had put in to making the Police Force something that could actually get results instead of the mockery that it once was. They didn't have the best success rate, but it was steadily improving, and most of it was because of Mac's hard work.  
  
"Actually we do have something, for once." Scott got that look in his eyes that he often got when he had a lead that could bring him some more fame. Scott's ego needed to be stroked constantly. Mac wouldn't do it, so Scott had to find other ways to ensure that his needs were met.  
  
"What is it?" Mac inquired.  
  
"The newest member of Corinthos's brood dropped his wallet at the scene. During our initial examination of the area we picked it up."  
  
"Damian?"  
  
"Who else could it be? Unless Sonny's got dozens of other illegitimate children running around the world that we don't know about yet."  
  
"You think he did it?" Mac asked, still somewhat shocked.  
  
"He's a Corinthos! Bloodlust pumps through his veins! Maybe it was some sick initiation into his father's little group." Scott knew that the news would hit Mac hard. He knew that Maxie was seeing Damian. "We had to let him go, though."  
  
"It's circumstantial evidence anyways," Mac was talking more to himself than anything. He had just decided that he was wrong about Damian all along, and now he was met with this new information.  
  
"Nothing is ever circumstantial with that family."  
  
"He wouldn't do it," Mac muttered. "He couldn't kill anyone."  
  
"Are you defending the son of a known crime lord, Scorpio?"  
  
"I'm defending the name of someone that I know to be innocent," Mac stated.  
  
"He's got so many of you under his spell," Scott retorted. "He's even got Lansing swearing that he couldn't have done it. Imagine that, Ric Lansing defending someone that came out of his brother. Whatever witchcraft that kid practices he really should put it in a book and sell it. He'd make a bundle."  
  
"Have you ever spent any time with him?" Mac asked.  
  
"I don't associate myself with criminals."  
  
"Afraid of being outdone?" Mac shot out smugly.  
  
"You really should learn not to piss off the guy that holds your fate in his hands, Mac."  
  
"I won't apologize for trying to keep someone who is innocent out of jail, Scott."  
  
Scott laughed, "The only reason you even think that he's innocent is because of your daughter. Admit it."  
  
"Maxie has nothing to do with my opinion of Damian Zuniga." It was the truth. Maxie's plight had shown the type of person Damian was, but Maxie herself had nothing to do with Mac's changed opinion. If Maxie was the one that would have shaped his opinion he would have been more accepting of their relationship from the beginning.  
  
"If I can get the charge I'm going to make sure that I find a way to make it stick," Scott walked out.  
  
Mac sat down in his chair, still in disbelief. Damian couldn't kill anyone, could he? Not in cold bold, that much was certain. Damian had shown himself to be one of the most morally upright people that Mac had ever met, and it was very strange to say that about the son of a crime lord, but it was the truth. But... if he had to kill them all in order to save someone that he cared about, would he do it? Probably. Almost certainly. Damian would do just about anything to safeguard the people that he cared for, even murder. He would only do it as a last option, but if it came down to it... he'd do it. Did Maxie even know about the incident the night before yet?  
  
Scorpio Household-  
  
"You're not thinking about cooking again, are you?" Georgie asked.  
  
"No, of course not," Dillon said, even though he was in the kitchen and was going through the pots and the pans.  
  
"Then what are you doing?"  
  
"Umm... keeping myself occupied?" Dillon smirked.  
  
"Step away from the cooking tools," Georgie ordered.  
  
"But..."  
  
"Now, Dillon!" Georgie's voice was full of force, something that it was rarely ever filled with.  
  
"I've gotten better, honest!"  
  
Georgie smiled, "If you want to cook so badly, why not do it at the mansion?"  
  
"Cook won't let me near the fire, either."  
  
"You haven't really gotten any better, have you?"  
  
Dillon turned his eyes away, "Fine, I was lying."  
  
Georgie rolled her eyes, "You're going to make me ban you from the kitchen, aren't you?"  
  
"I'm not that bad!"  
  
"You're still doing work for the damages that you caused the last time you tried to cook here!"  
  
"I think Mac charged too much for inflation," Dillon muttered.  
  
"Come on, let's watch a movie. It will keep you docile." Georgie led Dillon into the living room by hand and turned on the television. The news was on.  
  
'There have been no recent developments in the shootout at the Port Charles Pier last night that left over a half dozen people dead. Police state that the investigation is still very much underway. District Attorney Scott Baldwin gave a statement last night.'  
  
The television showed Scott talking. Dillon and Georgie saw Sonny and Carly walk past him and into the Department.  
  
Maxie had seen them as well, "Why would Sonny and Carly be there?" She asked.  
  
211 


	96. Protective Nature

Note: One of my new goals in this story is to write a Dillon/Jason scene... because they really don't do them in the show and I want them to. When I can't get what I want through them, I do it myself. Isn't writing great?  
  
Kayla- Most of your questions will be answered when you finish reading this chapter. I actually don't know if I put too much of Courtney's reaction to the whole situation. Guess I wasn't thinking about it as much as I should have. Ah, well, nobody is perfect.  
  
Story-  
  
Georgie, having heard Maxie's question, instantly got up and did her best to comfort her sister, "Don't think about that, Maxie!"  
  
"Why else would they be there unless it was Damian?" Maxie asked.  
  
"It could have been Jason," Dillon stated. Although Jason was by birth a Quatermaine, Dillon knew that Jason had no desire to be around any of them save for Emily. Dillon didn't mind. Jason's less than pleasant attitude towards the family, Edward in particular, made him infinitely cooler than anyone else on the face of the planet in Dillon's eyes. None of them tried to keep it a secret that they knew what Jason did. Edward was constantly telling Alan about how his sons were both thieves and murderers. For the most part, it wasn't a lie.  
  
"It could be," Maxie muttered. "But I don't think it was."  
  
"Maxie... you know that Damian wouldn't do anything worth getting thrown in jail for!" Georgie didn't understand how she was going to keep her sister calm in the situation that she was in right now. Maxie had just gone through personal trauma, if she had to worry about her boyfriend to boot it could cause her to break down.  
  
"Georgie's right," Dillon quickly agreed, offering his support. He wasn't entirely sure about what had gone down, but he knew that Maxie wasn't acting like she normally acted. "Damian's like the most saintly person on the planet. He probably doesn't even kill flies. Knowing him, he gives the fly a bath and then lets it out into the wilderness again."  
  
The Jones girls turned their attentions to Dillon. Georgie gave him a much sterner look than her sister. "Gives a fly a bath?"  
  
Dillon backed away, somewhat slumped over, "What? Like I haven't given worse analogies in my life! I was just trying to say that Damian couldn't have done what the police think he did because he would never kill someone."  
  
Georgie shook her head, "As... unique... as Dillon's original analogy was, he's telling you the truth, Maxie. We all know that Damian doesn't have it in him to hurt anyone."  
  
"You're right, both of you," Maxie admitted. Damian couldn't kill another living person. He wouldn't do it. "Should I be there for him?"  
  
"He needs you, Maxie," Georgie said. "He needs as many friends as he can get right now."  
  
"Maybe we should..." Dillon began to suggest that they all be at his side, but Georgie again shot him a look of death and he backed off. "Umm, maybe we should watch the television and make sure that we don't miss any updates."  
  
"If you hear anything, please tell me," Maxie asked as she turned around and went back upstairs to get out of her pajamas. Damian wouldn't care how she looked, but she didn't want him to see her like that.  
  
"They need to be alone right now," Georgie told Dillon.  
  
"I know, I wasn't thinking."  
  
"You do that a lot," She remarked.  
  
"Hey, don't jump all over me right now, Georgie. Please."  
  
Georgie gave Dillon a questionable look, "You okay?"  
  
"I'll be fine."  
  
She knew differently, "No, you're holding something from me. What is it?"  
  
"I'm worried about him."  
  
"We all know he didn't do anything," Georgie said.  
  
"Yeah, we know that, Georgie. We're able to see past the fact that he's the son of someone that everyone in this town knows is a mobster. We're able to see that he's probably the most innocent person on the planet. But we're not the ones that need to be convinced. We're not the ones that have a vendetta against Sonny like the police do." Dillon sighed, "I haven't really been in Port Charles as long as you, and don't let my comment that I'm about to make cause you to think less about me because it might seem like I'm attacking your father but I'm not. They're going to take him down, Georgie. If they can't bring Sonny Corinthos down to his knees directly then they're going to strike at him in any way that they can. Right now Damian's the best target they have, and now that they've got some reason to actually try and keep him down, they're going to take it without even batting an eye to the fact that it's wrong."  
  
"My dad won't let that happen," Georgie told him. "Dad's seen that Damian's a good person at heart. He's seen that Damian wouldn't do something like what they think that he did."  
  
"Mac's only one person, Georgie," Dillon said. "He can't stop everything."  
  
"Well what about Lucky?"  
  
Dillon shook his head, "There are more people that are going to want to bring him down because of his father than there are who would want him to be judged based on his own merits. It doesn't look that good."  
  
"Everything will be okay," Georgie said, trying to fool herself as much as she was trying to fool Dillon. He was right. She knew it. Her father couldn't pull that many strings. He might not even want to. "What's she going to do without him?"  
  
"I don't know," Dillon wrapped his arms around Georgie. "We just need to hope that it doesn't get to the point that they're going to be split up."  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
He heard the bullets being fired out of the gun. He felt his pulse speed up as the thought of his father being riddled with bullets flashed through his mind. He knew that he had to go back, and that was why he did it. He would do it again, even if he were caught. Even if there was more than just dropping his wallet on the ground while they took Jason away, he would have done it.  
  
"Damian?"  
  
He opened his eyes and saw Courtney standing there in front of him. He had apparently slept in. He didn't get much sleep over the night anyway. His body was covered in his cold sweat.  
  
"The door was open. I thought you might be up. I didn't know you were still sleeping, sorry." Courtney saw that there was something wrong with him. "Are you sick?" She knew that if there was something wrong with him then it was something else, but she still had to ask.  
  
Damian shook his head, "I'm fine, Aunt Courtney."  
  
"You're covered in sweat."  
  
"I know..."  
  
"Damian..."  
  
"I didn't sleep very well, okay?" He raised his voice at her, even though he didn't really mean to sound so mean. He knew that it sounded very bad, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..."  
  
"It's okay, I didn't sleep that great as well," She admitted. "I was spending so much time just making sure that Jason was okay."  
  
"Is he?" Damian wondered. "Uncle Jason didn't have anything happen to him, right?"  
  
"He's fine, thanks to you."  
  
Damian shook his head, "I didn't do anything. Besides, dad could have taken that bullet out of him if I wasn't around."  
  
"He depended on you," Courtney said. "Both Sonny and Jason looked to you in order to help Jason, and you did. I'll be grateful for the help you gave my husband."  
  
"He's family, you don't owe me anything."  
  
"Do you always have to be so modest?"  
  
"I grew up in a very traditional Mexican-American family, it's what we do."  
  
"I'm glad that you grew up where you did, with who you did," Courtney said. "If you had been with some other family... if you had been raised by Sonny..."  
  
"You think I would have become like him if I was around him growing up?"  
  
Courtney was silent for a brief moment. "I don't really know. I'm just worried about a lot of things. Jason's gotten shot before, but it still gets so hard to accept it, because every time that he gets a bullet in him I know that its just something that brings him one step closer to being away from me forever. One day he's not going to be coming home, and I can't accept that."  
  
"But you won't try and let him change who he is, either."  
  
She shook her head, "I don't want him to be someone that he isn't. I told him that I would never try to shape him the way that the Quatermaines' did when he was still with them. I intend on keeping that promise."  
  
"Even if it brings you nothing but worry?" Damian asked.  
  
"It's my choice."  
  
"You have the choice of walking away."  
  
"Are you suggesting that I leave my husband?"  
  
"Of course not, I see how much you love Uncle Jason and even though he might not show it very often, I know that he loves you, too. But I also know that I don't want either of you to be unhappy." Damian put a hand on Courtney's arm, "And you look unhappy right now."  
  
"Why are you worrying about me?" She smiled. "You've got so many problems of your own at the moment and the first person that you care about isn't yourself."  
  
"My family is more important than the problems that I'm going through. Always have been, always will be.'  
  
"I'll be fine, but I'm still worried about you."  
  
Damian turned away, "I shouldn't have been so stupid."  
  
"What do you mean? How were you stupid?"  
  
"They know that I was there, Aunt Courtney," Damian knew that she knew by now, but he told her again anyway. "And if they knew I was there they can bring dad down through me."  
  
"He'll find a way to get you cleared, you weren't guilty."  
  
"But what if he can't?" Damian asked. "What if it ends up that dad can't solve everything?"  
  
The cell phone on the counter rang. Damian looked at the caller ID. It was Maxie.  
  
215 


	97. Who To Trust?

Scorpio Household-  
  
Maxie paced around the room, her door closed. She didn't want anyone knowing that she was calling Damian, although she knew that they would guess that she was. He wasn't the only thing on her mind, but she did care about him a great deal. She wanted to make sure that he was okay. She knew how much damage could be done to his reputation, to his image, if the case against him was allowed to stick. Damian wouldn't care about what other people thought as long as he knew and he knew that the people that he truly cared about knew that he was innocent, but that wouldn't be enough. The places that he would try to get a job at would see that he had a record, they would see the charge for multiple accounts of murders. If he even managed to stay out of prison, his medical career would be over before it even started. Had he even thought about that? Damian seemed to have the answers to everything, but he couldn't really. He was human, and he would eventually make some mistakes. He had obviously made one the night before. How could he let himself get blamed for the shootout? What happened? Her cell phone in hand she bit her fingernail, "Come on, pick up. Damian, pick up!"  
  
"Maxie?"  
  
She almost jumped when she heard his voice. She was so worried about what could happen to him that actually talking to him caught her by surprise. "Oh, thank God you can answer the phone!"  
  
"It's not that hard. I pick it up, I press a button."  
  
She smiled, even though she knew he couldn't see her smile. But the smile faded as the severity of the situation sunk in. "Are you okay?"  
  
With Courtney standing next to him, Damian felt a little uncomfortable. "Don't worry about me, are you okay?"  
  
"What do you mean don't worry about you?" Maxie asked, somewhat offended.  
  
"Maxie, you've been going through a lot lately, I don't want you worrying about me and adding to your stress."  
  
"How can I not worry about you, Damian?" She wondered. "You were involved in that incident last night, weren't you?"  
  
Damian's face shifted tones from blank to pained, "You know?"  
  
"Of course I know! Damian, it's all over the news!"  
  
"I try and avoid watching television."  
  
"Stop it!" Maxie almost screamed into the phone. "Stop trying to make me laugh, stop trying to make me feel better!"  
  
"Maxie, I'm sorry."  
  
"I want to see you," She said. "I want to make sure that you're okay."  
  
"Maxie, I'm fine, really."  
  
"Please," She said softly. "Please just meet with me. I need to see that you're fine with my own two eyes. Can you do that for me?"  
  
"I'll need some time to get ready, I just woke up. It was a long night."  
  
"I would have been there for you if you wanted me to be," Maxie said.  
  
"I know that," Damian replied. "And I want to thank you for giving me the knowledge that if I needed you, you'd be there. It helped me a lot."  
  
"I wish I could have been there," Maxie sat on her bed.  
  
"It's in the past now," Damian told her firmly. "There's no need for you to worry about what happened last night anymore."  
  
"I can't help it."  
  
"I'm sorry I worried you, Maxie," Damian gazed over at Courtney, she was trying to support him by just giving him a comforting smile. "I didn't want to burden you with anything else."  
  
"You think you're a burden to me?"  
  
"No, of course not. I wanted to keep you safe from knowing what happened."  
  
"I can handle it, Damian. I'm the Commissioner's daughter, remember?"  
  
"I'm sorry for underestimating you. Do you want to meet with me in about an hour?"  
  
"Yeah," Maxie answered. "Kelly's sound okay?"  
  
"As long as it isn't the docks, I think I can be okay."  
  
"Damian..." Maxie's voice was heavy.  
  
"That wasn't a joke, Maxie. I'll see you in an hour." He hung up the phone and sighed. "She thinks that I don't trust her."  
  
"Should you?" Courtney asked.  
  
"What do you mean?" Damian rummaged through his clothes, looking for something to wear.  
  
"She's the Commissioner's daughter, Damian. Do you think that Mac's not going to try and pump her for information about what you've told her, what you've been acting like? He's a lot smarter than that."  
  
"He wouldn't compromise his relationship with his daughter further by pushing into our relationship again," Damian said. "If Mac keeps on trying to break us up, the only couple that he is going to destroy is him and Maxie."  
  
"How can you be so sure?"  
  
"I don't know, I just am." He turned to her, "Of all the people in this family, I would have thought that you were the one who understood the situation that I'm in. I can't talk about what happened because if I do I'm going to hurt people that I love, but I can't accept that it happened, either."  
  
"I know exactly how you're feeling," Courtney said. "That's why I want to keep you away from people that would try and make you feel worse about yourself and the information that you're holding from the police. IT was hard for me to not talk, but that's the rule that we all live by. Anything that I said, anything at all, could be used against my brother or my husband and it could tear my family apart. We worked so hard to get where we're at, I never want to lose that."  
  
"I don't want to take it away from you or any of them, Aunt Courtney, believe me."  
  
"I do."  
  
"How do you do it?" Damian asked. "How do you wake up in the morning knowing that you might have to go through something like this?"  
  
"I don't think about it unless I have to," She said. "I try and focus on the things in my life that don't revolve around the life that my family leads. I try and think about the times that we spent together when we didn't have to worry about one of our enemies coming in and shooting us. I think about the day that Jason and I got married, or all the times that we've spent with Michael and Morgan. I try and wake up with a smile on my face and it helps me get through the day."  
  
"I don't know if I can do that," Damian said.  
  
"It's not that hard, you'll get used to it."  
  
Damian shook his head, "I promised myself that I would never live a lie. I won't throw that away, not for anyone."  
  
"You can't tell them what happened, Damian. We couldn't survive without Sonny and Jason."  
  
"I won't do anything that will put any blame on them," Damian said. "I just want to be able to show Maxie that I'm okay. That's all that she wants. She wants to know that I'm fine. How can I deny her that simple request?"  
  
"You shouldn't," Courtney agreed. "Just... promise me that you'll be careful, okay?"  
  
Damian grinned, "I've learned to walk on very thin ice since the moment that I came here. I think I've gotten pretty good at it, don't you?"  
  
"This isn't something that you should be joking about. You could get into a lot of trouble."  
  
"You know I didn't do it, don't you?" Damian asked.  
  
"Of course I do."  
  
"Then that's all I needed to hear."  
  
Michael pushed the door open, "You're home!"  
  
Damian and Courtney shot looks at one another. How much had Michael heard? Had he been listening for a long time? Neither of them played off their worry. Damian just laughed, "I told you that I'd be home by morning, didn't I?"  
  
"Did the bad man hurt you?" Michael asked.  
  
"No, Uncle Ric didn't hurt me at all," Damian said. "He just asked me a few questions before dad and your mommy came and got me."  
  
"Is he going to be coming back for you?"  
  
"I... don't really know, Michael."  
  
Michael was confused. "If you answered his questions then he shouldn't be bothering you anymore, right? You didn't lie to him, did you?"  
  
Damian shook his head, "You know that I wouldn't lie to anyone, Michael. You should never lie to anyone either."  
  
"Daddy says that he lies a lot," Michael said. "Why should you be honest to someone that always lies?'  
  
"Remember what I told you about being your own person?" Michael nodded, Damian continued, "If you act the same way that a person acts, you're not being yourself, are you?"  
  
Michael pondered the question for a moment. He had his answer soon enough, "I guess not."  
  
"You should always tell the truth, even when you're talking to someone that you don't like or you don't trust. As long as you know that it's the truth, that's all that matters."  
  
"Did he believe you?" Michael asked.  
  
"I think he did."  
  
"Why did he come?" Michael looked at them both for the answer. "He shouldn't ever come to our home."  
  
Courtney answered the question, giving Damian a much needed break, "Sweetie, sometimes Ric's job makes him have to come up to the house and talk to one of us. But he can't hurt us anymore, I promise."  
  
Damian gave a slight nod. "Why don't you go show Aunt Courtney that picture that you drew the other day? I need to jump in the shower anyway."  
  
"You want to see it, Aunt Courtney?" Michael asked, happy to have a chance to show off his work.  
  
"You know I'd love to see any pictures that you made," Courtney said.  
  
"Come on!" Michael grabbed her hand and rushed her out of the room.  
  
Damian's smile quickly faded as soon as Michael was out of sight. If everything came out... as it was likely to happen... how would he take it? "Focus on one problem at a time," He told himself. It was hard, though. There were so many.  
  
220 


	98. The One With Answers

Note: Tomorrow I will return home from school for spring break. I intend on updating while at home, but it COULD be something that is impossible. I don't know... internet could be down and stuff. Just so you know, there may be unscheduled downtime.  
  
Kayla- Thanks are in order for the kind words, so here is said thanks. Courtney and Damian's relationship is a very strong one, and one that doesn't exactly wane as easily as the others. Here is hoping this update pleases you...  
  
Story-  
  
Scorpio Household-  
  
She was angry at him. She didn't exactly know why, but that didn't change the fact that she was. She didn't like being told that she was kept at arms length for her own protection. That was one of the reasons she wasn't happy. Damian would do anything for her, anything at all. Why did he assume that she wouldn't do the same for him? Maxie would. Everything that Damian felt for her, she felt for him. If he couldn't see that... then maybe he wasn't the type of person that she thought he was. "No," Maxie told herself as she opened the door to her room. She knew that he was the kindhearted soul that had managed to make himself the person that he was despite everything that was placed in front of him. She knew that he would only keep things from a person if he felt that it was necessary, that it would hurt the person if they found out. She knew these things, but it did nothing to make her feel better about what he had done. She loved him. She truly loved him. But she was truly angry at him as well.  
  
Maxie came down the stairs, not even trying to sound discrete about it. In fact she was sounding about as bad as a heard of Elephants coming down the open plains of Africa. Perhaps it was an indicator of her mood. It certainly couldn't be that she had gained weight. Not that he would care if she did. Besides, there was no reason to hide. Georgie and Dillon knew that she was well aware of what had happened the night before. They knew how she would react. In some ways she was horribly predictable. She didn't care. She was going to act this way because she knew it was right. She was worried about him, and she was upset that he didn't come to her. Regardless of how he felt about her mental state after the recent events, he had no right to keep her out of his life like that. She grabbed her coat. She wasn't cold. She was so angry that her body was producing heat that would keep her warm at the North Pole, but she would eventually calm down. He'd calm her down. He loved her too much not to. When that happened, she needed to have her coat.  
  
Even though Georgie knew the answer, she still had to ask the question, "Where are you going?"  
  
"I'm going to see him."  
  
"You can't go to the penthouse," Georgie said. There was really no reason that Maxie couldn't go to Sonny's home, but Georgie wouldn't enjoy the feeling she would get while she worried about her sister being in the home of a known criminal. The one time that Georgie had been there in recent memory things had turned up very badly. It was mostly to protect Dillon, but she still didn't like it.  
  
"I'm not going to the penthouse," Maxie shot back. She'd try and stay as far away from that place as she could, much for the same reasons that Georgie did. It wasn't a comfortable place. "We're going to meet at Kelly's."  
  
"Stay safe," Georgie almost pleaded.  
  
"What's going to happen to me?"  
  
"Maxie..." Georgie let her voice hang low. "Please, just tell me that you're going to stay safe."  
  
Maxie smiled a little. Her sister was always looking out for her, even when she shouldn't. "I won't go looking for trouble." Maxie walked out the door and headed towards Kelly's.  
  
When she was gone, Georgie sighed. "That doesn't mean that it won't find you."  
  
Dillon placed his hand on her shoulder, "They'll be okay."  
  
"You don't believe that, do you?"  
  
"I don't know what to believe," Dillon admitted.  
  
"Neither do I." Georgie hugged him. At times she could depend on Dillon for the stability that she needed when things got too bad. At that moment, however, they were both unsure. At least they could look towards each other for comfort and possibly answers.  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
Damian came out of his room completely dressed and ready to face the day. If things continued down the path that they were taking, he would indeed have to face something before the day came to a close. He certainly hoped that it wouldn't go that badly, but he knew that he would be asking for too much and would likely get hurt in the end. He still didn't have his wallet, which proved to be problematic because it held all of his important possessions. He had some money that he always kept in case something happened, but he didn't feel comfortable with the fact that people were rummaging through his possessions. His bank card was in there... the police knew that he was Sonny's child. What would stop them from trying to tap into his account and siphon out the funds? They'd find that he didn't have much. He tried to keep himself as separated from Sonny's money as possible, but would that stop them from taking the money that he did have? He would need to get his wallet back soon.  
  
Realization hit a moment later. He had much more important things to worry about than his wallet. He went for the door.  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
His father's voice. He had been so distracted that he didn't even check to see if Sonny was around. Damian turned and looked at Sonny.  
  
"I hope you're not thinking about leaving."  
  
"You keeping me caged in now?" Damian asked.  
  
"You should not be running around Port Charles right now," Sonny stated. "The cops are going to be watching you more now than they ever have before."  
  
"But still not as much as they watch you." Damian sighed, "Sorry. I didn't mean for it to sound like it did."  
  
"You can't leave."  
  
"I'm just going to Kelly's, dad."  
  
"You're going to see her, aren't you?"  
  
Damian stopped. He didn't know why he felt so uncomfortable talking about Maxie with Sonny now. His father had helped him make that date that they shared so special. He should have been the one person that Damian went to confide in during such moments. But he wasn't. "Maxie needs to see me, dad."  
  
"No, she doesn't," Sonny opposed the idea. It wasn't that he didn't like Maxie, he had nothing against her and could see that she brought Damian happiness, which made him happy for his son. But, much like Courtney, he also knew that she was Mac's adopted daughter. The lack of blood didn't matter. Mac and Maxie were as close as he and Michael, maybe even closer. Maxie would tell him things if he asked. And if Maxie knew things, the specific details about what had happened the night before, she would eventually cave and compromise all of them. Sonny liked Maxie, but he couldn't have that happen. He couldn't see his son go to prison for something that Damian didn't do, but he also couldn't see himself and Jason put away for something that they did do. Carly, Courtney, Morgan, Michael, they all depended on Sonny and Jason. They might not make it without them. Damian would. He had proven that he didn't need parents, although he did want them around if he could have them. Sonny knew that Damian would try and keep the family together as best he could, but Carly would likely never accept him being the Corinthos family patriarch. It could bring them down even further. Obviously, neither outcome was an option. The only option was to get Damian cleared of all the charges. It wasn't going to be easy, but Sonny had spent most of his life making the impossible possible.  
  
"I can't live the life you want me to, dad. I can't play by your rules. I've got my own mind and I can think for myself," Damian tried to be as calm as he could, but he didn't enjoy being treated as a child. He wasn't a child. He hadn't been for a very long time.  
  
"You're going to go regardless of what I say, aren't you?"  
  
"I'm going to see my girlfriend. She's very afraid that something will happen to me because of the incident last night. Would you deny Carly the same thing if the situations were reversed?"  
  
"Carly and I have something different."  
  
"You're right," Damian said. "You have a relationship that started with an intense hatred."  
  
"That's not fair."  
  
"But it's true."  
  
Sonny's short fuse was nearing an end, but his son had a point. He cared for Carly. Damian cared for Maxie. If the situations were turned, they wouldn't be acting any differently. "Don't say anything that would incriminate you. You can't take the chances right now, Damian. Not even with Maxie."  
  
"I'll be careful."  
  
"I need you to be more than careful. I need you to just avoid talking about what happened last night." Sonny tried a different avenue as well, "Think about the people that are going to be affected by a court trial. Think of Michael."  
  
Without saying a word, Damian looked at his father and left. Sonny obviously was very good at playing the mind game. It had worked on Damian, at least partially. He wouldn't betray his morals for his father or for anyone else, but he certainly didn't want to put Michael through anything. It seemed like every second that passed the entire situation just ended up getting a lot more complicated.  
  
Lorenzo Alcazar's Home-  
  
Lorenzo had been laying low for some time. Of course, he knew of the shootout. Even if he wasn't one of the most powerful criminals in the East Coast, he would have known because it was plastered all over the news. When he saw Sonny and Carly on the television he knew that it involved the boy somehow. He also knew that Damian was being looked into because, much like Sonny, there were cops who were paid to feed him information.  
  
He smiled at the idea of Sonny being pushed to defending his son. He would not act, not yet.  
  
Kelly's-  
  
Maxie walked into the restaurant. She had been here too often in the past, but there was no other place that she felt entirely comfortable meeting at. She couldn't put the people at the hospital in danger in case something did happen. Even if they didn't get hurt physically, the emotional stress could cause some patients to have a very bad reaction to everything.  
  
That was why she picked Kelly's, it always had a few people in it. Witnesses made it less likely for something to happen. People in Port Charles liked to do the devious acts in a somewhat discrete manner. It made Kelly's one of the better places.  
  
Of course, she had to smile when she saw someone that she wasn't expecting. "Lucky!"  
  
Lucky looked up from his coffee and smiled. "Hey, Maxie."  
  
Maxie sat in the chair next to him, "Can I ask you a favor?"  
  
"You know you can," Lucky and Maxie shared a special relationship. Lucky knew that she once had a crush on him, but that had since cooled. They had a good friendship, though. Lucky was close to both Maxie and Georgie even before he became a cop.  
  
"What happened last night? Why is Damian involved?" Maxie wanted the answers, and she wanted Lucky to be the one to give them to her.  
  
224 


	99. Reaffirming

Authors Note- Like I said before, moving everything back to the core story, provided that it will let me, and closing the continuation. Sorry for the mix ups.  
  
Stacey- Thank you for your kind words, they humble me. However, I sincerely doubt that this is the best fanfic... perhaps the longest, and even then that's probably a lie as well. Nonetheless, I am honored that you think so highly of my work, and my creation. I've never read another story like this, although I've written such stories for various other fandoms. Yeah, I like the kid that no one knew about story, it's fun. I am sorry that you caught me during a time when I couldn't update every day like I have been doing, more or less, since the start. Hopefully, the next time you check up with a 2 hour periodic scan, you'll have 3 whole chapters to enjoy! Yes, you're right... there will be more of Damian and Carly as well as Damian and Jason. I want to give everyone their time together as best I can. Trust me, I'm not even close to doing everything that I've intended on doing. Just giving you some stuff to look ahead for.  
  
Joy- Don't worry about falling behind, barring the people at Fanfiction themselves taking down the story, it will always be there. I've no intentions of dropping it, even when I'm done. Yes, I do enjoy putting Damian through such situations. They make me happy. How will Sonny and Damian work this one out? Even I'm not entirely sure of that answer as of yet. I liked the situation with Jason as well, there's another one coming up that should be of equal interest. Those Dillon/Jason scenes, while rare, are pure gold. You know, I never thought of the Damian/Maxie relationship like Sonny and Carly's, ever. I guess I see the similarities, but if you hadn't pointed it out, I would have remained blind.  
  
Story-  
  
Lucky looked uneasily at Maxie. The information that she was looking for wasn't exactly the stuff that he could be giving out to anyone, not even the daughter of the Commissioner. In fact, Lucky was more than a little upset that Maxie would even attempt to compromise their friendship in the way that she was. Lucky didn't blame her, however. He knew what it was like to be young and to be in love. He knew how much a person could mean to someone that age. He wouldn't have acted any differently than she was acting towards him if he were still her age.  
  
But he wasn't, and he knew better than that now. "Maxie," He said calmly and holding the anger that he was feeling, "You know that I can't tell you that information."  
  
"Please, Lucky!" Maxie pleaded. "I have to know."  
  
Lucky shook his head, "How do you know that your boyfriend is even involved?"  
  
"I just know," Maxie said. "I have that feeling that he was."  
  
"You don't have anything to worry about," Lucky told her. It was mostly true, since the only piece of evidence that they had against Damian was entirely circumstantial.  
  
"I don't believe you."  
  
"I wouldn't lie to you, Maxie."  
  
"You wouldn't?" Maxie asked.  
  
"Why would you think that I would lie to you?" Lucky wondered, actually wanting an answer because he needed to know for his own sake.  
  
"To get back at Sonny and Jason."  
  
"I've got no reason to hate them," Lucky said. "Sonny's married to my cousin!"  
  
"You don't like him very much, though," Maxie pointed out. It likely wasn't a lie. Not many people actually did like Sonny. They feared him, yes. They might have even respected him. But they more than likely didn't actually care for him.  
  
"You know, the best way to get information from someone is to actually be nice to them, not bring their character into question."  
  
Outside of Kelly's, Damian walked up and looked inside. He saw that Maxie was talking to Lucky. He wondered why she was talking to a police officer. Carly's cousin or not, it didn't change the fact that Lucky was a cop. Besides, being related to Carly actually put more stress on any possibly relationship than less. Damian knew that Lucky would always favor his family over someone else. He would act the same way for the most part. Maybe they were right. Maybe Sonny and Courtney weren't just telling him things that he wouldn't believe. Maybe Maxie was working with the cops against him. Damian sighed. He wouldn't believe it. He couldn't believe it. Maxie was one of the few solid pillars that he had to lean on in Port Charles. He couldn't lose her.  
  
"You've got no reason to even defend Damian," Maxie almost shouted. "You tried to get him in trouble for what happened with Kyle because of the fact that they got into a fight the day before Kyle died. You just assumed that because he was Sonny's child that he was just like his father."  
  
"I was wrong," Lucky admitted. "I shouldn't have jumped to those conclusions. But that was a month ago, and that doesn't have anything to do with what's going on right now."  
  
"So you admit that something is going on?" Maxie asked.  
  
"I didn't mean it like that."  
  
Maxie shook her head, "I think you did mean it like that, Lucky. Now you're just trying to cover it up. I came to you for information because I thought I could trust you, but I guess I can't."  
  
"Maxie, this isn't my place to be giving you any information. I'm a police officer, we can't talk to civilians about these things because it doesn't concern them."  
  
"I love him!" Maxie pointed out. "Anything that could hurt him concerns me!"  
  
"You're involving yourself too much into this, Maxie." Lucky got out of his seat and placed both his hands on each of Maxie's shoulders. "Please listen to me right now and listen well, okay? If you keep doing this, you're going to get hurt. People that surround themselves around Sonny and Jason, especially girls, are not going to come out the same way that they came in. Maxie, I care about you too much to watch you destroy yourself worrying about someone like Damian, and I won't let that happen."  
  
"You're going to work against him," Maxie looked up, her eyes filled with hate. "You're going to find a way to pin what happened on him when he didn't have anything to do with it."  
  
Lucky sighed, he wasn't getting anywhere, "I'm going to do my job and make sure that the people that were involved got to jail for killing all those men. If that involves you boyfriend, and I'm not saying that it does or it doesn't, then he needs to pay for his crimes."  
  
"It wasn't him."  
  
"You're entitled to believe that, Maxie," Lucky pointed out. "But your belief alone doesn't automatically make him free of that guilt." Lucky looked up and saw Damian looking at them out of the window.  
  
Maxie saw his eyes turn up and she looked behind her shoulder. She almost jumped out of her chair when she saw him.  
  
Lucky shook his head. He wasn't going to watch her travel down the path that she was going down. He didn't even want to watch. When he turned around he saw Elizabeth standing right next to him. "Can you believe her?"  
  
Elizabeth nodded, "Maxie's listening to her heart. I can't believe you, Lucky. How many times has Luke been accused of doing things that he didn't do? How many times have you been in the situation that she's in where someone that you care about is being blamed for something that they had nothing to do with? Do I have to make you remember what happened with Summer?"  
  
"That was different."  
  
"I'd love to hear your explanation for how what's going on between them is any different then all the things that you've been through."  
  
"I'm not involved with Sonny Corinthos," Lucky mentioned.  
  
"So you're going to base Damian's character entirely on his father?" Elizabeth asked. "I seem to recall that you hated it when people did that with you and your father, Lucky. I know how much you care about Luke, and how much you care about Maxie, but you need to look at Damian based on what you know about him, not about his family."  
  
"I don't know much about him," Lucky said.  
  
"No, you don't." Elizabeth frowned, "You don't know what he went through. You don't know what Carly puts him through. You don't know anything about him, but you're going to judge him because of something that he didn't do? I liked it when you were more objective about things and believed that a person was innocent until they were proven guilty. I could have sworn that you were supposed to believe that because you are a cop."  
  
"How much do you know, Elizabeth?" Lucky wondered.  
  
"Probably more than you do," Elizabeth said. "Because, unlike you, I've been thinking about Damian and his motives. He doesn't have any. What good would come out of him killing over half a dozen men?"  
  
"He could be looking for Sonny's favor."  
  
Elizabeth almost laughed, "See how little you know about him? He doesn't care what Sonny thinks about him."  
  
"He's living with his father, Elizabeth!"  
  
"They want to build something. Again I point to you and Luke, Lucky. You have a good relationship. It might have its bumps and you might not ever see eye to eye on a whole lot of things, but you still have that bond." Elizabeth peered past Lucky and saw Maxie and Damian. "That's what he's looking for with Sonny."  
  
"I hope he finds it," Lucky muttered. "But that doesn't clear him."  
  
"He didn't do it. I know he didn't do it."  
  
"I hope you're right," Lucky told her. "For your sake, and a lot of other people. But I'm not going to be made a believer so blindly."  
  
"Lucky..."  
  
Lucky stopped her, "I've had a really long night, Elizabeth. I'd really just like to go up to my apartment and rest right now."  
  
Elizabeth put a smile on her face although that wasn't what she was feeling at all, "Okay, Lucky. I hope you rest well."  
  
Maxie smiled as she rushed into Damian's arms. But he kept her at arms length. "Why were you talking to that cop?"  
  
Maxie looked up at him, shocked. "What?"  
  
"Why were you talking to Officer Spencer?"  
  
"Lucky?" Elizabeth looked back into Kelly's, although he was gone. "He's been my friend for a long time."  
  
"You weren't talking about me?" Damian asked. When Maxie was silent, he knew the answer. "You were?"  
  
"I wanted to find out what was going on, because you're not telling me."  
  
"I can't tell you, Maxie," Damian said sadly. "I wish I could tell you, but I don't even know what's going on right now. Everything has been so complicated since last night. It's like I can barely walk out of the penthouse without feeling that I'm being watched."  
  
"I would never do anything to hurt you."  
  
"I'm sorry," Damian said. "I just don't know how to act right now. Everything seems so different."  
  
"You don't have to be scared."  
  
"But I am," Damian admitted. "I didn't hurt anyone, Maxie."  
  
She nodded. "I know you didn't." She leaned in for a kiss, "I'll always know that you didn't do anything." The minute their lips touched, she forgot everything that she was feeling. All the anger went away. 


	100. Downtime

Note: 100 Chapters! Let us celebrate, my readers! I would like to thank you all for continually putting up with my story and supporting it in the ways that you do. Much love from me to you! Let's keep this going, shall we? Although, if it goes on for 100 more chapters... that'd probably be very bad. Yes, very bad indeed.  
  
Story-  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
Sonny sat on the couch, brooding. He was doing much more than that, though. He was running through ways in his head that would allow him to keep his son's name clean. He wanted to keep it legal, for Damian's sake, but he knew that if it came down to it, Sonny would do anything to get the result he wanted. Damian would possibly hate him again. He could push himself away from Sonny once more. It could again cause Michael some considerable trauma. Sonny wanted none of that, but if he had to do it in order to protect a member of his family... the ends justified the means.  
  
He had so many enemies. Without even running down the list of people that could attempt to bring him down he knew who would be at the top of that list. Alcazar, Ric, and Baldwin. They were the only ones in the immediate area that could stage such a show. But at the same time, Asp's return made Sonny cautious. Would there be other people that were trying to strike him down from the shadows? People that he didn't even know were around? Was he really that big of a target now that he couldn't do anything to keep his family safe?  
  
No. Sonny refused to believe that he could ever fail his family like that. He lived his life by certain preconceptions that allowed him to function without rolling into a ball in the corner of a room and babbling like a madman. If Sonny, for even a brief moment, truly believed that he could fail his family, it would break him. The other times that he had snapped he had managed to come back, but he wasn't entirely too sure if he could come back from something caused by his own extreme feelings of insecurity. He wanted to ask Jason to keep an eye out on things for him, but Jason wasn't exactly the best field agent at the moment. Jason was hurt because Sonny wasn't as sharp as he once was.  
  
Maybe he should have just stayed out of the business like he originally intended. Carly had been so understanding. He got out of it because of what he did to her, and he put himself back in because of a child that wasn't even hers. Maybe that was why she loathed Damian so much. It was certainly a possibility, although it wasn't the only one. It probably wasn't even the most likely. Carly just did not like it when people invaded her perceived personal space. Damian came and took a chunk of her life away from her, there was no reason that she should have just let it happen. It was over, though. She should have gotten over it and adjusted like everyone else.  
  
Like always, Carly had to be different. Like always, Carly had to be difficult. It was one of her more endearing qualities to Sonny, but it was also something that made him dislike her when they were enemies.  
  
Like always, Carly knew when her husband wasn't exactly in the most comfortable state of mind. She walked over and placed her arms around his shoulders, embracing him in a hug that wasn't tight, but was still very loving. "You look tense, Sonny."  
  
"I've got a lot on my mind."  
  
"I know you do," Carly moved away from Sonny for a moment as she walked by him and sat next to him on the couch. "You're going to fix this."  
  
"How can you be so certain?"  
  
"Because you fix everything," Carly said with a smile. "There's nothing that you can't do."  
  
Sonny laughed, "I wish I shared your confidence in me."  
  
"Sonny, we all know that he's innocent."  
  
"But I'm not."  
  
Carly snickered, "You're a lot of things, but you haven't been innocent since you were in diapers."  
  
"You know what I mean, Carly," Sonny stated sternly. "I'm the reason that he's in trouble right now. I made a mistake that got Jason hurt. If Jason hadn't have gotten shot in the knee Damian wouldn't have needed to help me pick him up and he would have never dropped the wallet that the police found."  
  
"You're doing it again," Carly said.  
  
Sonny looked at her, "Doing what?"  
  
"Trying to change the world, Trying to do the impossible. Trying to fix the past even though you can't. Sonny, what happened can't be changed. You need to stop dwelling on the events of last night and work towards getting your son out of the fire. They haven't even made charges yet."  
  
"That won't stop Baldwin and my brother," Sonny commented bitterly.  
  
"I know," Carly said, with a tinge of sadness.  
  
"I need to think of a way to get Damian out of the suspicion that he's under and keep myself out as well," Sonny said. "It won't be easy."  
  
"Nothing's ever easy for us, Sonny," Carly noted. "It's part of the game."  
  
"Maybe I'm tired of playing the game by their rules."  
  
"You never played the game by anyone's rules but your own," Carly shook her head. "You need to do something for yourself, Sonny."  
  
"What do you mean?" Sonny wondered.  
  
"Go do something with Michael and Morgan," Carly suggested.  
  
"Why don't we all do that?" Sonny asked with a slight smile. If there was one thing that would bring his attitude up considerably it was spending time with the family that he loved so much. It included his wife and his son, but he knew that there were some things that would always remain some faint hope for him. Carly and Damian's acceptance of one another was very high on that list. It was only a smidge more likely than he and Ric becoming close like he and Courtney had. In other words, it was basically an unnoticeable tick away from impossible.  
  
Carly shook her head, "You know I can't do that."  
  
"No, Carly, I don't know you can't do that."  
  
Carly turned away for a moment, "Michael knows what is going on, Sonny. He knows that something is wrong with Damian and he doesn't know exactly what it is. He's going to have questions that he needs to have answered and he needs someone to answer them that can give him the honest answers that he needs to hear. I can't be that person. I'm sorry, I wish I could, but I just can't."  
  
"You can't even try, for his sake?" Sonny asked.  
  
"If I tried to lie to my son and he found out it would hurt him more than being honest ever could," Carly knew that Sonny would understand what she was saying. After all, his lie had destroyed his relationship with Damian for a time. She had hoped that it would never actually recover. She was wrong. She hated being wrong. "I can't destroy my relationship with my child like that." Her eyes went wide and she covered her mouth. "Sonny, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it like that."  
  
Sonny put his hand up, "I know you didn't."  
  
Carly was angry at herself now. She shouldn't have been so verbally insensitive towards her husband at that time. She didn't like Damian, she never hid that fact, but she saw that Sonny loved his oldest child and she didn't want to take that love away from him now. She had at a time, but she wasn't that person anymore. "Please, Sonny. Take the boys out for a little while. I know how much you glow when you walk around town holding Michael's hand and holding Morgan in your arm. Michael needs to do something happy for once anyway."  
  
"What are you going to do while we're gone, Carly?" Sonny asked.  
  
Carly smiled, "Take a long bubble bath while I have the house to myself for once!" She sounded like she had won the lottery. It wasn't that far from the truth. There were rare fleeting moments that were few and far between when Carly could just take the chance to relax in her home. She would take them the minute they came up, though.  
  
"I've put you through so much," Sonny kissed her on the cheek. "I'll make it up to you."  
  
She made a sound of approval, "You'd better."  
  
"Carly?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Do you think that there will ever be a time when..."  
  
She knew what the question was. "I don't know, Sonny. I can accept what happened between you and Lily, and I don't have to worry about Brenda coming back anytime soon. Damian's going to be a constant reminder of what you had with his mother."  
  
"I didn't have anything with her," Sonny said sadly. "It should have never happened."  
  
"You never talked about her before," Carly grabbed his hand. "Sonny, you've told me things that you never told anyone else before. Why didn't you tell me about Ana-Maria?"  
  
"I forgot about her."  
  
"You never forget someone that you have..."  
  
"Not if it means something," This time it was Sonny who cut in during the conversation. "With Ana it meant nothing. She was attractive, yes, but she was innocent and I should not have stolen something that was so precious to her. I didn't want to do it."  
  
"You didn't have a choice."  
  
"There's always a choice, I was just too much of a coward to make it."  
  
Carly hugged him. "You're one of the strongest people that I know, Sonny. You made the right choice. If you wouldn't have done what Scully wanted, you would have never lived. I would have never met you. I couldn't live with not knowing you, with not having you in my life."  
  
"I don't know what I'd do without you," Sonny kissed his wife.  
  
When they were finished, Carly smirked, "You'd have a lot more closet space."  
  
"I can put up with all the clothes you own, as long as I get the chance to see you wear every outfit," Sonny grinned.  
  
"You have more fun taking it off anyway," Carly replied coyly.  
  
Sonny gave a brief nod, "I'm going to go and get the boys ready."  
  
Carly watched Sonny go up the stairs, the smile on her face. She had a feeling that maybe things weren't as bad as she lead them to believe.  
  
Outside Kelly's-  
  
"You're going to trust me, right?" Damian asked Maxie.  
  
"Of course! How could you even ask me that?"  
  
"I just don't know who I can count on right now," Damian admitted.  
  
"You can always count on me to be there for you when you need it, Damian. You've helped me out so many times, it's the least I can do."  
  
"Maxie... if you ever feel that you can't do it anymore. Please, tell me. I don't think I could take hurting you because I wanted to keep you around."  
  
"You'd never hut me."  
  
"Not on purpose," Damian said softly.  
  
Maxie put her finger on his lip, "Stop right there. You're not going to go into depression mode on me, you hear me?"  
  
"Is that an order?" Damian replied with a smirk.  
  
"Yes, an order from your girlfriend."  
  
"I didn't think you'd be the controlling type."  
  
"I'm just full of surprises, aren't I?" Maxie asked.  
  
"You keep things interesting. That's for sure."  
  
She giggled, "Thanks."  
  
"Maxie," Damian lost his comedic side. Maxie could tell because he looked a lot like Sonny did. It was scary in some ways, but she knew that he only got like that on rare occasions. Normally he would always be the Damian that she fell in love with. "I don't want you trying to help me by looking around for information, okay?"  
  
"I want to help!"  
  
"You're helping the most that you can by being there for me and giving me your trust. Please, Maxie. I don't know why I'm being set up like I am, but I don't want you being put in danger. Promise me that you'll stay safe!"  
  
Maxie saw his sincerity. She couldn't deny him something so simple. "Okay, I promise."  
  
"I should get home," Damian said. "If you need me, call."  
  
"If you need me," Maxie put an emphasis on the 'you' and 'me.' She wanted to show that she could be there for him in the ways that he had been there for her. "Call."  
  
With a brief kiss on the lips, Damian walked away. "I will." 


	101. Can't See Past

Note: I am so running out of chapter titles now.  
  
Story-  
  
Port Charles Park-  
  
While Carly had requested that Sonny take the boys out, he didn't do it alone. Courtney was with him. He actually didn't ask her to go, but she asked if she could tag along. Jason wanted her to get out and do something since she had spent so much time worrying about him when she didn't need to. Michael didn't mind, it let him be around two people that he knew cared about his big brother very much. Sonny held Morgan in his arms, bundled up to counteract the beginning fall chills. It had been a long time since he had spent some time with his young sons. There was always something that was going on in his life that would take him away from them. Sonny hated that aspect of his life, but he couldn't get away from it. He had tried already, and failed.  
  
Michael had ran to the restroom, leaving the two adults to wait for him on the nearby bench. Morgan looked up at his father, his eyes filled with questions that his mind couldn't even possibly begin to comprehend. Sonny just smiled. Even in the face of everything that was going on, holding his infant child made him feel like he had accomplished something in his life. He knew he had left a legacy: Damian, Michael, Morgan. He didn't want them to carry on his life, but he wanted them to carry on what he had believed in. He wanted his children to grow up and be something more than he ever was. Damian already was. With his help, maybe, just maybe, Michael and Morgan could do the same.  
  
"Sonny?" Courtney said his name softly.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"You don't say anything when Michael's around because you want to protect him and make sure that his mind isn't flooded with worry, but I can see it in your eyes. What's eating at you?"  
  
Sonny peered at his little sister, "You have to ask that question? I would have thought it would be obvious."  
  
"It is," Courtney admitted. "I just needed to hear you say what it was that was bothering you. It makes it easier for me to help you."  
  
Sonny disagreed, "You can't help me, Courtney."  
  
She was a little shocked, "What do you mean? You're my brother. I won't just let you fight this alone."  
  
"I don't want there to be a fight at all," Sonny said.  
  
"I didn't mean it like that," Courtney defended herself. "You're going to be going through a lot in order to clear him, we both know it. I want you to know that you'll have me at your side if you need it."  
  
"Thanks," Sonny said honestly. "I just wish everyone could be as supportive as you."  
  
"Carly..."  
  
"She's still being her typical self," Sonny muttered. "She can't see past what she believes he's here for to see why he really is here."  
  
"She'll come around," Courtney said in a comforting tone.  
  
"We might not have that long to wait," Sonny stated with a long sigh.  
  
"You'll beat this," Courtney smiled. "You always get past any hurdle that they throw in your way. You got Carly away from the panic room and then got her back from Alcazar. There's nothing that you can't accomplish, Sonny."  
  
Sonny stood up, "There are a lot of things that I can't do, Courtney."  
  
Courtney's face showed her concern. "Sonny, don't. We need you to be strong right now. If you slip into a depression it will only make everything worse."  
  
"I'm worried." Sonny shook his head and corrected himself, "I'm more than worried, Courtney. I'm scared."  
  
"Of what?" She asked.  
  
"Of failing my son again," Sonny admitted. "He looked to me for honesty once, and I didn't give it to him. I lied because I've lied so many times in the past and it just became so easy for me to lie, even to people that I love. Now he wants to beat the system because of his innocence, but we both know that isn't how the system works. Damian's clouding his judgment with his morals. I respect that he wants to do that, but... sometimes believing something doesn't mean it's going to happen."  
  
"We all know he's innocent."  
  
"Yeah, we know that. It won't stop the people who want to see me suffer from putting him away for something that he didn't do, though."  
  
"You've always known that your enemies were going to strike at you through your family, Sonny."  
  
Courtney and Sonny looked at Ric, who had walked up. Courtney sneered, "Speak of the devil."  
  
"I'd like to speak with our brother alone, Courtney," Ric said.  
  
"You think I'm just going to leave you with him?" Courtney asked. "How demented have you gotten."  
  
"Please, I just want to talk."  
  
"Courtney..." Sonny let his voice hang as he gave her Morgan. "Take the baby and wait for Michael. When he comes out, take him to Kelly's for something to eat. I'll meet you there."  
  
"Sonny," Courtney tried to be defiant.  
  
"Courtney..." The voice hang again and Courtney did not do anything to make him say her name a third time.  
  
"Come on, Morgan," Courtney made her voice lighter and happier around her infant nephew, even though she was still very afraid of what could happen. "We're going to go get something to eat."  
  
Sonny and Ric watched Courtney walk away. She turned back once, but kept on going. Sonny was thankful. She listened better than anyone, although she could let her morals cloud her judgment the same way that Damian had.  
  
"You didn't need to send the baby with her."  
  
"You tried to steal my baby once before, Ric," Sonny said. "You tried to take him while he was still in his mother's womb. It's a whole lot easier to steal Morgan now than it was when you tried it the first time."  
  
"I wouldn't dream of trying to do that again."  
  
"Do you really believe that?"  
  
"Why is it so hard for you to accept that maybe, just maybe, I've become a better person?"  
  
"Because I don't believe that people can all of a sudden change, Ric. I trusted you once and you betrayed me. I would have killed you, and there have been many other times when I would have killed you, but our mother spent hours giving birth to you. I won't take a life that came from that woman. Ever."  
  
"Mobster with a heart of gold," Ric smirked. "Someone should really try and sell your story to Hollywood."  
  
Sonny brushed the sarcasm off, "Why the hell are you here, Ric?"  
  
"To tell you that I know Damian didn't do what we're trying to charge him with."  
  
Sonny smiled, "You think I'm just supposed to believe that? You come up and tell me that everything is going to be okay and I'm just supposed to believe it. No questions asked? You know me better than that."  
  
"I don't really know you at all," Ric said. "None of us do."  
  
"The people that I can trust know me."  
  
"Do they?" Ric wondered. "How much of yourself do you give to them, Sonny? How much do you share with anyone? Even Carly? You have too many secrets in that dark mind of yours, there are things that you would never tell anyone. I know how you work."  
  
"Because you're just like me."  
  
"In some ways, yes," Ric sighed. "I wish otherwise, but it's the truth."  
  
"Get to your point, Lansing."  
  
"I'm going to make sure that Damian doesn't get tried for doing something that he didn't do."  
  
"Is this the part where I get down on my knees and thank you for defending your family?" Sonny wondered.  
  
Ric brushed it off, "I'm trying to do the right thing for someone that I consider to be a member of my family."  
  
"You don't consider anyone to be your family," Sonny remarked.  
  
"No, you don't consider anyone in your family to be part of my family," Ric quickly countered.  
  
"With good reason," Sonny started to walk away.  
  
"I never knew how you could get someone like Damian to come out of your genes, Sonny. I'll never understand why you always get handed the people that are so loving and accepting towards someone who doesn't deserve anything but hatred. You know what, though? It doesn't matter. You can hate me all you want, you can convince everyone else in your family that I'm this evil twisted demon who is only going to bring you pain, I'm still going to do what I can to keep your son from being punished for something you did."  
  
"You've got no proof that I did anything."  
  
"I don't need proof, Sonny. I know you did it. I might not be able to convince anyone else that you did, but that doesn't mean that I don't know it was you."  
  
"Leave my daddy alone!" Michael ran up to Ric, his hands balled up into fists.  
  
Sonny grabbed his son, "Michael, you were supposed to go with Courtney!"  
  
Courtney came up, panting. "He saw Ric... I couldn't grab him in time."  
  
"Go away, bad man!" Michael ordered. "Leave my family alone!"  
  
Ric turned, "If there are any changes in this case, I will inform you. I suggest you take my call should I make it, Sonny. It can be highly advantageous to all of us."  
  
"Just go," Sonny demanded.  
  
"Why did you talk with him, daddy?" Michael asked. "You said that I should never talk to the bad man."  
  
"You shouldn't, Mike," Sonny said. "But I'm an adult, I can handle myself. You shouldn't have run away from your Aunt Courtney like that."  
  
"He's going to take Damian away from us again, isn't he?" Michael looked worried. "He stole mommy from us, and now he's going to take Damian. I know it."  
  
Sonny shook his head, "I don't know what's going to happen, Michael. I really don't know."  
  
"But you always know the answers, daddy," Michael hugged his father, looking for support.  
  
"I'll find a way to make this right, Mike. I promise." It was a promise that Sonny intended on keeping. 


	102. Breaking Down Walls

Joy- I guess I'm just dense like that in the ways of the relationships. Perhaps it was predestined that any relationship involving anyone with Corinthos blood would play out in such a fashion. I enjoy throwing those little subtle curve balls that don't really go anywhere. Damian and Maxie's relationship is going to be as strong as it ever was, but for how long? You're right about Maxie keeping him grounded, but how much good will it do in the end? See, cryptic. Yay.  
  
We choose to see Sonny the way that he is often portrayed, yes, but I've always enjoyed watching (and writing) the innermost thoughts of the mobster king. Sonny's so dynamic, but a lot of times they don't focus on his dynamics they just focus on what he does. You're absolutely right, though. Once we get past Sonny's preconceptions of this cold hearted mob god, we can see that he's just human and he has very many human traits, like worrying about his brood.  
  
Story-  
  
Corinthos Household.  
  
Why did he feel bad? Why did he feel guilty? He had done what she requested. She wanted to see him, and he gave her what she wanted. He wanted to see her as well. He needed to see that she didn't think that he did anything wrong, because he knew that he didn't. If he couldn't prove that to Maxie then there was really no reason to continue with his desire to maintain his innocence. If she thought he was guilty, then that was all that mattered. She should have been able to see that he was innocent. Thankfully, she did. All of the people that he cared about knew that he didn't do it. Even Ric knew, which was astonishing since everyone was always spending so much time badmouthing Ric and making him seem like he had no sort of sympathy towards anyone or anything at all. Damian had given him the chance that his father would never give him. Courtney, Jason, Carly, they'd never give him that chance either. They had their reasons for being so mistrusting of Ric, but Sonny and Ric were united by the blood of his grandmother, a woman that he had never met and would never meet. He wondered what she was like. Would he have such a strong connection to her if she were in his life? Would he be able to depend on Adella like he was able to depend on Victoria? Would she have been there for him whenever he needed it, unconditionally? He didn't know, and not knowing something like that actually made him very sad. He wanted to know his family. It pained him somewhat growing up knowing that he hadn't even met his father. Now that he had, it pained him knowing that he would never meet his grandmother. To some people it seemed entirely trivial, but to Damian it was something deeply personal. Would Adella believe that her grandson was innocent, even if she didn't know for certain? Would she even support her son's life? Damian knew that she had thrown Sonny out after he had finally reached the breaking point when it came to the abuse that he got at the hands of his step-father. He knew that she wasn't exactly the most stable person. She took Mike's leaving her very harshly and that set off the reaction that continued until her death. She might not have been as accepting of Sonny and his ways as Mike was. In fact, she might have disowned her child if she knew what he had done and what he continued to do. Sonny would have been destroyed if he had known that he lost his mother's love. Maybe it was a good thing that she was gone. Damian would have liked to at least meet her, though.  
  
It was quiet in the house, much too quiet. Even if Michael was taking a nap, something should have been happening. He was deep in thought at first, but now he was alert of his surroundings and there was nothing that he could hear. Did something happen? Did Sonny try to solve the problems that Damian was having by himself? Did he get himself hurt? Why didn't he get a call? His phone was on the whole time, wasn't it?  
  
He checked his cell phone which showed that he had not missed any calls. That only made him more worried. What was going on?  
  
There were sounds coming from the top floor. Faint sounds, someone was walking down the stairs. Was it Leticia? Damian looked and saw Carly standing at the bottom of the stairs. She was wearing a deep blue dress that wasn't too fancy, but it was still incredibly eloquent and looked good on her. She looked like she could be one of the nicest people on the planet. Damian knew better. "You're home?"  
  
"I live here," Carly said. She was sad. She was hoping that it was Sonny that came home, not his son. She had gotten her long moment of relaxation, and now she wanted to spend some time with her husband, with her family. A family that didn't include his bastard child.  
  
"So do I, by your invitation, I might add."  
  
"Don't remind me."  
  
Damian ignored her apathy. "Where is everyone?"  
  
"I sent them out so that I could have some time to just relax. You weren't here, I would have had the house to myself for the first time in a long time."  
  
"Carly... if you really want some alone time with dad I can take Michael and Morgan to the apartment for the night. Its right above Kelly's, so getting dinner and breakfast wouldn't be a problem."  
  
"I wouldn't leave my children with you," Carly stated, not even thanking him for the offer, just flat out refusing to take it seriously.  
  
"Why do I even try?" Damian asked, throwing his hands up in mock defeat.  
  
"I don't know, you tell me."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Why do you try, Damian?" Carly asked. "Why do you keep on trying to place yourself in this family?"  
  
"Because I have a place in it for myself," Damian said. "I'm Sonny's child."  
  
"He wouldn't have even had you... he didn't want to have you."  
  
"You don't think I know that?" Damian asked. "You don't think that I know that being around my father is a constant reminder of his past and how I'm the product of him doing something that he never wanted to do but didn't have a choice in?" Damian walked up to Carly, "Dad was pretty much raped that night, Carly. He didn't want to have sex with my mother, but he did because he was forced to, unwillingly. I know how much he hates being helpless."  
  
"Why do you stay around if you know that you're hurting him?"  
  
"Because he thinks that I blame him for what happened, and because he thinks that I blame him for that he blames himself for it as well. He needs to realize that I don't blame him for anything that happened on that night. I don't blame him for not being around me when I was growing up. I don't blame him for any of my problems that happened before I came here. I just wanted to know who I was, and in order to find that out I needed to find out who he was."  
  
"You know now, you can leave."  
  
Damian shook his head, "I can't just leave, Carly. You might not have much of a problem leaving the people that you care about on a whim, but I've got a little more at stake than that."  
  
"Don't you dare judge me."  
  
"Don't judge me, Carly!" Damian almost shouted. "You've been doing that since the day we met, and you haven't stopped. I was mean to you at first because I didn't want to have any part with this either, but I realized that I belong to this family and that sadly includes you. I've tried to be nice to you, Carly. I've tried to be as accepting towards your animosity as I can be, but you know what, I'm tired of being the one that just takes your constant abuse and belittling."  
  
"I don't want you here."  
  
"I'm staying."  
  
Carly sighed, "I know."  
  
"We can either tear each other to shreds and hurt the people that we both care about, which happens to include your children, your husband, and your best friends, or we can actually find some way to exist together."  
  
"I've never been good at compromise."  
  
"Carly... can I ask you something?"  
  
"What?"  
  
Damian gazed at her, "Why do you hate me? At first I thought it was because you thought I wasn't really dad's son, but you know that I am. I could even see that you were just doing your motherly instincts and trying to keep me from hurting your sons, which I would never do and you know that. Why can't you just accept me for who I am?"  
  
"You take too much away from me, Damian."  
  
"What do I take from you, Carly? You have everything that you could ever want."  
  
"You don't take anything away from me in that way," Carly said. "You're taking my family."  
  
Damian shook his head, "I'm not."  
  
"They're not depending on me anymore," Carly sat on the bottom step. "Michael worships you and wants nothing more than to be worthy in your eyes. Sonny's confiding in you the way that he used to confide in me. You helped Jason after he was shot and you've connected with Courtney in a way that no one has except for me. Everything that I hold dear in my life, you're somehow managing to ruin."  
  
Damian was actually shocked. Carly was showing him a legit reason for her animosity. She wanted to cling onto what she had, because it was so precious to her. She didn't want it to become a memory of the past. She didn't want to lose that. Damian knew what that was like. When his mother died he didn't want to believe that he would have to wake up without her face being there to greet him. He wanted to keep the status quo for as long as he could, even if he knew that it wasn't something he could do. "Would it help if I told you I was sorry?"  
  
Carly laughed, "Yeah, it would really help."  
  
"I'm being serious."  
  
Carly still snickered, "Sure you are."  
  
"Carly... I know how you're feeling."  
  
"Don't compare yourself to me, kid."  
  
"I do. I know how it feels to have everything around you shattered by one event. I know how hard it seems to adjust to that, and I'm sorry for causing that to happen to you."  
  
"You couldn't know what I'm going through," Carly said, still in disbelief.  
  
"I lost my mother, remember? I had a period in my life where everything seemed like I had started over again. Without her, I had nothing. I know how it feels to have everything you've ever thought you knew compromised."  
  
"Why couldn't you stay away?"  
  
"You know why," Damian told her as he sat next to her. "You came back to Port Charles when you found out that Bobbie was your mother. You know what it's like to find out something about yourself and needing to know what it is."  
  
"I came back here to destroy my mother for leaving me. You didn't come here to do the same for Sonny."  
  
"See, you admit that I don't have any dark motive. Carly, they still love you. All of them. You're always going to be Michael and Morgan's mother. They're going to come to you before they come to me on a whole lot of things. You're always going to be Sonny's wife. He's always going to confide in you more because you're his equal, you're not his child. Jason's always going to trust you more than anyone else, the same for Courtney. You're always going to be a fixture in their life, and in mine, too. Regardless of how much I try and tell myself otherwise."  
  
"What makes you say that?"  
  
Damian smirked, "Because we're family." He meant it. Through the good and the bad, that's what they were. She'd never be his mother. He'd never be her son, but they couldn't get past the bonds that did tie them together. 


	103. Cold Hard Facts

Note: Sonny/Michael scenes... so cute, so sad... I want more!  
  
Kayla- I'm glad that you're enjoying the relationships that I have in my story. It is very important to me that people like the way that things are going and like who is involved with whom, it's easily the most important part of doing what I do. Thank you for affirming that I'm doing something right.  
  
Story-  
  
Scorpio Household-  
  
Maxie walked into the house, a light smile on her face. She had a feeling that everything was going to be okay. Damian had been honest with her, even though he didn't trust her conversation with Lucky at first. She didn't know what she was thinking, talking to Lucky at that moment was one of the worst things she could have done. He didn't tell her anything, but she wasn't really expecting him to. She wanted to know, but if Lucky couldn't tell her, or wouldn't tell her, she would have to find out through other means. She walked past the living room, and noticed that her sister and Dillon were still there. "You two haven't even left the house since I've been gone?"  
  
Georgie looked over her shoulder, cradled in Dillon's arms, "We thought we'd stay around the television in order to make sure that everything stayed the same with Damian's case. We knew you'd want to know if anything had changed."  
  
"Thank you," Maxie said. "I appreciate the effort."  
  
"How'd it go?" Dillon wondered. He and Georgie weren't going to interfere with their relationship, but Damian was still Dillon's friend and he wanted to know how everything was going.  
  
"He seems to be fine," Maxie said. "He told me that as long as I believed in him, he'd be able to keep going."  
  
"We believe that he's innocent, too," Georgie said. "We know it."  
  
"Yeah, he couldn't hurt anyone."  
  
Maxie nodded, "I know."  
  
The door opened again as Mac walked into his home. He was worried about how Maxie was taking the news. He needed to talk to her. He thought he would have to fight with her to open the door to her room, but she was right in front of him. "Maxie..."  
  
"Dad!"  
  
"Do you know... what's happening?" Mac asked, concerned for his daughter's welfare. She had almost had a complete mental collapse such a short time ago. Pushing her further with anything stressful could break her.  
  
Maxie nodded again, "He didn't do it."  
  
"I know."  
  
Maxie was a bit shocked, "You know?"  
  
"Yeah, I know he didn't do it."  
  
"Then why are you letting the people treat him so badly?" Maxie wondered. "If you know he's innocent, how come you're allowing everyone to think that he's a murder?"  
  
"It doesn't work like that, Maxie," Mac said firmly. "You know that it isn't as simple as that when it comes to clearing someone's name. Just because we know that he didn't have anything to do with it doesn't mean that he's automatically free of guilt."  
  
"You still think he had something to do with it?"  
  
"Not with the murders directly, no," Mac said. "But I'm not going to lie, Maxie, I think he knows who were involved. I think he might have been there."  
  
Maxie was quick to disagree, "He'd never be at a place where there was going to be violence. He'd never stay around and wait while his dad and Jason did their dirty work."  
  
"Not unless he had a reason," Mac said. "Maxie, you know how much he loves his family. You know that he'd want to protect them at any cost. What if he went there just to make sure that everyone was going to be okay?"  
  
"He wouldn't..."  
  
"Who are you trying to convince?" Mac wondered. "Me, or yourself?"  
  
"He wouldn't lie to me!" Maxie shouted. "I don't like you implying that he would!"  
  
"Honey, I believe that he's innocent, I truly do."  
  
"Then why can't you leave him alone?"  
  
"Because he's the only person that we have a link on with the events that happened last night! We have to follow up on it, no matter how much we're against it." Mac sighed, "I will do as much of this investigation as I can myself, to make sure that no one treats him like he's a criminal when he's not, but I need you to do me a favor."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I need you," He cut himself off and looked over at Georgie and Dillon, "all of you to tell me if he says anything at all about what happened yesterday to any of you. Every little bit of information that we can get will help us clear him."  
  
"He's not going to incriminate his family just to clear himself, Mac," Dillon spoke, not even taking notice of the fact that Mac didn't attempt to throw him out the minute he saw him. Obviously what Georgie had told him was true, Mac was becoming less of a hard-ass. Not much, but any softening was an improvement. "If any of them were even involved." Dillon knew in the back of his mind that they probably were. Somehow Jason was involved, that was almost certain. Jason was almost always involved in some of the more lascivious acts of Port Charles. Why should last night have been any different?  
  
"He might feel safer talking about what happened around you guys," Mac focused on Maxie again. "Especially you, Maxie. You're the best chance that we have of clearing your boyfriend."  
  
"I won't betray him."  
  
"Not even if it means helping him stay out of jail? Maxie, if the District Attorney is able to pin all of those bodies on Damian..."  
  
"He won't," Maxie cut in.  
  
"But saying that he does," Max reaffirmed his comment. "If Baldwin is able to get Damian pinned for all of those bodies he's going to get the death penalty... or if the jury is being extremely kind he'll get life in jail. Either way, you'll never see him again."  
  
"How can you be so cold, dad?"  
  
"I'm not being cold," Mac defended himself.  
  
"You just told me that my boyfriend was either going to be murdered for doing something that he didn't do, or he was going to rot in a cell for the rest of his life. Explain the part that isn't cold about those two statements to me, please."  
  
"I'm trying to show you that you have to help me clear his name," Mac leaned against the door. "Maxie, I can see how much you care about him. Are you telling me that you don't care about him enough to keep him safe?"  
  
"He wouldn't want me to try and go behind his back," Maxie said. "Even if he ended up getting cleared of all of those charges... if he found out that I worked against him and tried to use his honesty against his family... it would destroy him. He'd stop loving me."  
  
"Maxie, think about what's more important," Mac said to her, firmly. "Damian's freedom or his opinion of you."  
  
"How can you ask me that?" Maxie was close to tears. She knew that the situation could get bad, but Mac had just told her that it could end with Damian's death. She didn't want that to happen.  
  
"There are some things in my room that I need to get before I go back to the station," Mac was sad. He didn't want to put his daughter through anything, but he didn't have a choice. "If anything happens, please call me."  
  
Mac walked up the stairs, looking back at Maxie one last time. Georgie had come up to her and hugged her, always being the one who did the comforting. As always, Maxie was lucky to have her. They all were.  
  
"Everything's going to be okay," Georgie said softly. "We won't let anything happen."  
  
"Not like you could stop it," Maxie noted. "Dad's right, as much as I hate to admit it. If Damian does know something, and if it involves his family at all, he's going to keep quiet until the very end. He won't say anything that could hurt his family. He'll gladly go to jail if it means protecting them all."  
  
"I thought you loved that part of him," Georgie said.  
  
"I do," Maxie commented. "But I never knew it could be something that could get him into so much trouble."  
  
"You scared?"  
  
"Does it show?" Maxie asked.  
  
"Only a little," Georgie tried to smile.  
  
"Don't Georgie, please. Don't make me laugh."  
  
"I won't," Georgie's face went blank. She wouldn't do anything Maxie wouldn't want her to. 


	104. Checking Up

Story-  
  
Morgan Household-  
  
Jason had felt pain before. Both physical and emotional pain. He didn't like pain, either version. He didn't like showing weakness. He sat on the couch, his wounded knee bandaged and forcing himself to wear workout shorts in order to keep the wound from being bound by the jeans that he would have normally been wearing. He knew at that moment that he was showing weakness, and he hated it.  
  
Courtney had forced herself to stay up for most of the night, worrying about him. She cared about him so much. She knew that he could have been shot at any time, but she had also been very lucky in that it rarely happened. So rare was it that she could sometimes fool herself into believing that it would never happen again. Apparently she needed a reminder. Jason winced in pain as the tendons in his leg fluxed a little. Had he been in the presence of other people, even his wife, he would have been as stoic as he normally was. Since he was alone in his penthouse, however, he could weep like a baby and still maintain his cold image. He wouldn't cry, of course, but the thought was appealing.  
  
Damian opened the door to the penthouse, knowing that it would be open and knowing that he couldn't expect Jason to get up and get the door for him. Under normal circumstances he would have knocked, but he had a 'patient' to worry about, and that took priority. Jason looked up at him, his face blank, showing neither acceptance of his presence nor scorn.  
  
Damian backed away a little bit. He knew that Jason could be a kind person, but often he tried to shield that kindness, much like his father. Would he ever be like that? Would Michael? Would Morgan? Damian certainly hoped that it wouldn't come to that for him or his little brothers, but there were so many things that he wasn't entirely sure about. He only had to add one more item to the list. "I just came to check your bandages," Damian said softly as he took a step.  
  
"You didn't need to," Jason commented. "I can take care of myself."  
  
"Uncle Jason... at least let me do this, please."  
  
"Why is it so important to you?"  
  
Damian smiled softly, "I just can't stand to see anyone hurt. If it happens to be someone that I care about, I won't stand for it at all. Guess what, you happen to be on that list of people that I do care for."  
  
"Should I be honored?"  
  
"I don't know. Should you?"  
  
Jason turned away. He was slowly beginning to adjust to Damian's presence, and even accept him as a part of their life. He wasn't as questioning as Carly was when it came to the boy and his motives, but he had seen too many people come into his family after long periods of absence or no time at all and bring the entire core to ruins. Or... at least he knew it had happened a few times. He couldn't truly remember. "It doesn't look like anything's wrong with my leg, Damian."  
  
"Better safe than sorry, right?"  
  
Jason, with a heavy sigh, succumbed to his nephew's prodding, "If it will make you feel better..."  
  
"It will."  
  
Jason turned those ice blue eyes up, "Fine."  
  
"If you don't want me to do it, Uncle Jason, I won't. I might want to, but I respect your right to not have someone look at your injury. Especially someone that you still don't entirely trust."  
  
"Who says I don't trust you?"  
  
"I'm not stupid," Damian grabbed the fresh bandages and laid them on the table. "I can see the way that you look at Michael. You give him a smile and you genuinely care about him. I can see that when you hold Morgan, too. You try and make it seem like you're unreadable to everyone, Uncle Jason, but I'm just as skilled in keeping my blank face on as you are. I know the tricks of the trade."  
  
"You're right," Jason said. "I don't know how I feel about you. Not entirely."  
  
"I'm okay with that," Damian went into the kitchen, taking note of the severe lack of anything that could be used for cooking in the kitchen. Kelly's must have made a lot of business from Jason and Courtney. "Back home, there are a lot of people in my family that I don't trust, that I don't even like, but I still care about them, and I would still help them if they needed it. That's how I was raised."  
  
"I grew up in a family like that, without the helping and the caring," Jason said, not entirely sure why he said it, but too late to take back his statement then.  
  
"Dillon's family, right?"  
  
Jason was a little surprised, but he shouldn't have been. He knew that Maxie was Damian's girlfriend and that Georgie was Dillon's. It would have made sense for them to actually spend some time together. "You know Dillon?"  
  
"Yeah," Damian soaked a rag in warm water and grabbed another dry one. "Dillon's great. If I knew people like him back home, I might not have hated growing up as much as I did."  
  
"He didn't spend a lot of time around us... it might be why he's actually a decent person." There was still the question about how he was a nice person with the woman that had given birth to him being Tracy... but there was no reason to bring that up.  
  
"Being raised by certain people doesn't make you any more or any less of a bad person," Damian was firm in his belief. "My mother told me that I should never let people judge me by my family, that I should only let them judge me for who I am. Obviously, being here in Port Charles makes it somewhat hard but I'm going to keep on making sure that people see me as more than Sonny's bastard son."  
  
Jason let out a seething breath of pain. If it was too much for him to contain when he was around someone, it had to have been pretty bad. Unless he was faking, but Jason Morgan never faked anything.  
  
Damian was right at Jason's side within seconds, "Uncle Jason, you okay?"  
  
"Give it a second to pass," Jason's eyes were closed, he was trying to mentally block out the pain. It was working, somewhat.  
  
"Your leg should be fine within a week or two," Damian said, hoping that it would bring some level of comfort to Jason's bruised ego. "The wound wasn't that bad, and I've got this funny feeling that you heal pretty fast."  
  
"I shouldn't even be here on the couch," Jason wiped a single bead of sweat from his brow.  
  
"If you would just stop doing what you do, you'd have a much higher mortality rate," Damian tried to sound as sarcastic as he could, but what he said was extremely poignant. "You can't tell me that you and dad haven't already made enough money doing what you do in order to just stop and keep everyone happy for a very long time."  
  
"That's not how it works," Jason pointed out.  
  
"My grandfather got out..."  
  
"Elias was lucky." Jason also added, "And he didn't really get out, if he truly got out, you wouldn't be here."  
  
"I guess you've got a point," Damian remarked sadly. His conception was but the first in a long path of pain. Yet Jason was the one who helped convince him to stay around. It was their one moment that they understood one another almost perfectly. He liked that moment. "You think you can refrain from screaming like a baby when I take these bandages off?" When Jason gave him the cold stare of death, Damian couldn't help but laugh, "Thought so."  
  
"How'd you learn how to do all of this?" Jason wondered.  
  
"I want to become a doctor, I took first aid classes in high school and college. I would have become an EMT, but I really couldn't see myself working alongside a group of my peers in a very productive way." Damian removed the bandages slowly and as painlessly as possible. "Besides, even if I don't become a doctor, I'll at least know how to keep someone alive for a long enough period of time so that when someone who actually knows what they're doing comes up, they can save them. At least I'd hope they could save the person."  
  
"I don't think I ever took any classes, but I can't be too sure."  
  
"You wanted to become a doctor?"  
  
"I did."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
Jason was silent again.  
  
Damian took the hint, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be trying to understand your life as much as I am."  
  
"I don't remember a lot of my past. Let's leave it at that."  
  
Damian nodded. "It doesn't look like you've got an infection." He wiped the dried up blood off of Jason's leg before taking another brief examination and then rebinding the wound. "You're really lucky."  
  
"Yeah, I am. It shouldn't have happened."  
  
"I told you... you can get out."  
  
Jason shook his head, "No, I mean it shouldn't have happened to me. I told Sonny to stay away, to let me handle it. He wouldn't listen to me, he insisted on being there and showing that he was back up to par, but he isn't. If he was, I wouldn't have gotten shot. But if I didn't take that bullet, I would have had to tell you that Sonny was gone."  
  
"You don't think he can do it?" Damian asked.  
  
"I know that Sonny can be one of the most ruthless and calculating people on the planet, and that he knows that it takes a lot of sacrifice in order to keep the people that he cares about safe, but I don't know if he's willing to go that extra mile now that he's put a bullet in his wife's brain that almost killed her."  
  
"He would have killed Faith if she did anything to me."  
  
"Only because you're his son," Jason was quick to state. "Sonny holds his family in the highest regard, and he'll do anything for them. That's one of the reasons why I respect him so much. But that isn't what happens on a daily basis, not with what we do."  
  
"Have you told him?"  
  
"Sonny doesn't like to hear anything that he doesn't want to hear, even if it comes from me."  
  
"So what are you going to do?" Damian asked as he finished patching up Jason's leg.  
  
"Keep him as safe as I can," Jason said. "I'm not going to let your father die, Damian."  
  
"I don't want you to die either, Uncle Jason."  
  
"I wouldn't have any regrets if I died making sure that Sonny survived."  
  
"Don't go and make that possibility a reality, okay?" Damian requested. "I've lost too many people in my life already, I'm not going to keep on adding people to that list."  
  
"I never make any promises I can't keep."  
  
"And I respect you for that." Damian grabbed the kit and packed it, "I'll let you get some rest."  
  
"I've been resting all day."  
  
"Well then I'll give you some alone time to brood. That work better for you?"  
  
Jason called out to Damian as he left, "You know, I don't mean to come off as cold as I do. I just have a hard time opening up to anyone."  
  
"You don't have to apologize for being yourself."  
  
"You know... your father was the first person who actually told me something like that after my accident. It's why I gravitated towards him like I did."  
  
"Dad doesn't try to judge people," Damian remarked. "I'd like to think that I don't do it as much as some people."  
  
"You don't."  
  
"Then I'm doing something right with my life," Damian opened the door and was gone. Something right in the midst of everything he was doing that was wrong. Including the lying. 


	105. Truce

Shamira- Welcome back to the land of the reviews! Yes, the longer you wait, the more dire the situation in the catch up department. But, worry not, when I actually finish this story (because it WILL finish... eventually) you will have all the time in the world to play catch-up! Yeah, Ric's one twisted fellow, but he does have much love for Elizabeth and doesn't want to see her pained. The entire little sub-plot to that whole thing was making Ric the unlikely savior in the situation, since he's the only one who knew that Faith was gone. I can just see a young Faith walking around and asking people... more like telling them to buy her cookies. If they didn't, she'd whack them. Yes, I support the Zaxie, for it is a good and pure thing. But, the story is not about Zaxie, so it cannot be anything too intense. Plus, it was giving Zander one of his few moments outside of being Faith's little helper bitch. Hope it worked.  
  
As stated, Ric was doing the nice thing for Elizabeth, but at the same time he thought he could do something that would hurt his brother, which is something that he still on some level wants. If Elizabeth wasn't there, he probably would have just turned around. Yeah, the thing with Michael was planned because I wanted Michael to know something, but not hear everything. Plus, like you said, Sonny wouldn't have given him the time. Ric's monologue was a bunch of fun, it was! I wasn't watching during the whole push down the stairs thing, but I bet it will be resolved sometime. Yes, Jason is in many ways Sonny's little (but taller than him) helper bitch, which can be amusing at times. You're right about Sonny's point, and you'll see how right you were when you keep reading. Which should, presumably, be in about 2 and a half weeks. Just kidding.  
  
Story-  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
Sonny walked in, Michael holding his hand, Courtney a few steps behind with Morgan in tow. Michael appeared to be much happier than he was when he ran into Ric. There was no indication that Michael had even seen Ric at the park earlier, but that didn't take away from the fact that he did.  
  
Carly was still in the living room from her prior encounter with Damian. She looked at her family, the family that she accused him of stealing from her. They meant more to her than anything else. Her husband, her sons, her best friend and sister-in-law. They were part of her world, and she didn't want to let them go. She wouldn't let them go. She wouldn't have to. He wasn't going to take them away from her. "Did you have a good time, Mr. Man?"  
  
"We had Kelly's!" Michael proudly proclaimed.  
  
Carly laughed softly. The boy had eaten Kelly's more often than not. When Sonny would leave them to go on business that was what they would have, since Carly could not be trusted to make anything short of cereal and maybe, if the planets were properly aligned, a bowl of salad. "I'll take that as a yes." Michael ran over and hugged his mother, "You thanked your daddy for taking you out, didn't you?"  
  
Michael turned his head, "Thank you, daddy."  
  
Sonny grinned, "No problem, buddy." Sonny picked up a paper bag, "We figured you'd want something to eat, Carly. So we got you a meal to go."  
  
"You didn't have to," Carly said.  
  
"You have to eat, Carly," Courtney smiled. It didn't have any negative implications.  
  
"She happens to eat a lot, Courtney," Sonny mentioned.  
  
"Only when you make the food that I like, Sonny!" Carly quickly defended herself. "And, since you rarely make food for us, it's such an uncommon occurrence that I'm allowed to indulge myself from time to time. Wouldn't you agree?"  
  
"You saying you want me to cook more often?" Sonny wondered.  
  
"I think we're all in agreement that we could certainly stand to eat some more of your fine cuisine, Sonny," Carly watched as Michael and Courtney nodded their heads in agreement.  
  
"Maybe tomorrow," Sonny said.  
  
"How was Morgan?" Carly asked.  
  
Courtney held the baby and bounced him a little, "Perfect little angel, like always."  
  
"He didn't give you any problems?"  
  
Sonny spoke, "No, he was fine, Carly. You don't have to worry about him."  
  
"I'm not worried about him, I know that he's safe with you and Courtney. I just needed to know how he was while he was away from me, that's all."  
  
The door opened as Damian walked in from the other end of the hall. He wasn't expecting everyone to be home. "You're home?"  
  
"So are you," Sonny commented. "How did everything go?"  
  
"Fine," Damian stated. "Maxie saw that I was going to be fine and I told her not to worry. She probably will, though."  
  
"What makes you think that?" Courtney asked.  
  
"Wouldn't you still be worried about the situation if it were Uncle Jason instead of me? Even if he told you not to worry about it, you would be, wouldn't you?"  
  
"I guess I would."  
  
"Speaking of which, I checked his injury a few minutes ago. Everything seems to be fine."  
  
"You fixed Uncle Jason?" Michael pulled away from Carly.  
  
Damian shook his head, "I helped make sure that it couldn't get any worse. It will heal on its own."  
  
"How?"  
  
"Have you ever had a cut before?" Damian asked.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"And did someone put a bandage over it?" Michael nodded his head in affirmation. "And then when they took the bandage off a while later, it was all gone, wasn't it?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"That's what I did for Uncle Jason. I made sure that he was bandaged enough so that he could heal himself. Do you understand?"  
  
"I think so."  
  
"Should I be looking for anything?" Courtney asked.  
  
"Just make sure that he doesn't bleed all that much. Everything's fine, Aunt Courtney. I promise."  
  
Courtney smiled. She trusted his word. He wouldn't lie to her. "I think I'll go and check on him." She handed Morgan over to her grown nephew. "If you guys need anything..."  
  
"Go be with your husband," Carly practically ordered. "I'm sure that you being around him is going to help him heal faster than anything else."  
  
Damian was looking at Morgan. He was still uneasy about holding his infant brother. It was slowly becoming something he was more adjusted to, but now he still couldn't shake that feeling of wondering about the possibility of breaking the kid. His eyes turned to Carly. He was expecting her to look at him like she always had, especially now that he had Morgan in his arms. He was expecting that scornful eye and a scowl on her face. Instead he got... a smile? It faded quickly, but he knew it was there. Morgan laughed the laugh that small children make, which was a strange but still distinctive sound. "Don't be laughing at me, kid." Damian grinned.  
  
"He likes you," Michael said.  
  
"How can you tell?"  
  
"I just know."  
  
Sonny held out his arms, "I'm sure Morgan's really tired from all the excitement he had today. He should probably take a nap. Give him here." Damian did as he was asked and handed Morgan to their father. "Hey, buddy. You sleepy? Yeah, you are. Come on, I'll take you to your crib."  
  
Damian couldn't help but smile as he saw his father lose that face that he often worked so hard to maintain. Everyone did that around their kids when they were babies. It was like some predisposed feeling that they had to act like their conception of small children in order to actually make any headway with the baby. Damian didn't see a problem with it, but it was still funny to watch the high and mighty Sonny Corinthos almost reduced to 'baby-isms' when he was around Morgan.  
  
"Daddy has to talk to him like that because he's just a baby and he wouldn't understand the big people words like we do," Michael proclaimed.  
  
"Antidisestablishmentarianism," Damian said blankly.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"That's a big people word."  
  
"No it isn't!" Michael replied.  
  
Damian went to his room and grabbed his dictionary. It only took a minute. Walking back into the living room while thumbing through the words that began with 'A,' Damian found what he was looking for and knelt down next to Michael. "Look right there."  
  
Michael looked at the extremely long and complex word. He had no idea what it meant.  
  
"Don't worry about it, Michael. You'll understand in time, and if you can't we'll be here to help you."  
  
"All of you?" Michael asked.  
  
"I hope so," Damian didn't turn his eyes towards Carly, but the implication was more than enough."  
  
"When Uncle Jason gets better... do you think we can do something together? All of us?"  
  
"I don't know. I certainly wouldn't be against the idea, but I can't speak for everyone else."  
  
"What do you want to do, honey?" Carly asked from the couch, examining the conversation.  
  
"I don't know. We could have a nice dinner. Daddy could cook for us."  
  
"I like that idea already," Carly smiled. "What do you think, Damian?"  
  
He nodded, "I certainly wouldn't be against all of us spending time together as a family."  
  
"We could have Grandpa Mike and Grandma Bobbie come, too!" Michael wanted everyone that he cared for to be in the room with him for his planned celebration.  
  
Carly kept her smile, pleased with how her son wanted everyone to be together, "I'm sure they wouldn't mind, but they're very busy people."  
  
Michael turned his eyes down. "I just want us to be a family."  
  
"We are, Michael," Damian told him while placing a hand on his shoulder. "No matter how much we argue, we're always going to be a family. We're always going to be there for each other when we need each other."  
  
"Is that what your family does in California?" Michael asked.  
  
"It's what families do all over the world," Damian told his brother. "It doesn't matter where we're from, we stick together. We never abandon family, or take them away."  
  
"Why don't you get ready for your bath, Michael?" Carly suggested.  
  
"I don't want to take a bath."  
  
"Please..." Carly hated resorting to begging to get Michael to do anything, but if that's what it took she could shelve her pride for the time being.  
  
Michael succumbed quickly enough, "Okay, mommy." He dashed up the stairs.  
  
With Carly being left only in the presence of her step-son, that gave her the chance to do something she never thought she would do, break free from her denial. "You love him, don't you?"  
  
"I do," Damian replied. "I want to see that everyone is happy, Carly. Even you."  
  
"I've been so horrible to you."  
  
"I wasn't exactly the best person in the world to you, either."  
  
"So... can we call a truce?"  
  
"I'd like that very much."  
  
"So would I." Carly brought her hand out, "Truce."  
  
Damian shook it, "Truce." 


	106. Unlikely Allies

Port Charles Police Department-  
  
Mac had returned from his short stay at the home and had been hard at work for the past several hours. He had many things that he needed to go over, both in his head and actually doing it out on paper to at least make sense of what was happening. Nothing was making sense, though. That was the problem. Everything that they had, which was really only the wallet that was found on the scene and the possible motive, pointed at Damian. Mac was still firm in his belief that the boy was not guilty. He wondered, had he not seen the display that he had seen two nights before, which showed Mac that without a doubt Damian was a decent person, would he be as firm in his defense? Did he truly think so lowly of Damian to begin with, or was he merely trying to keep Maxie away from anyone because of the varied incidents that had happened with Kyle? Another question that didn't have an answer. Mac hated it when his personal life got caught up with his work. It made everything much more complicated than it should have been. The first step would be to take himself off of the case, but he wasn't going to do that in this instance because he wasn't sure that anyone else could treat it in the way it needed to be treated. There were too many people that would want to put Damian away simply because of his relationship to Sonny. Mac always knew that would get one of them in trouble soon enough, and he had a feeling that the person that would feel it the worst would be Damian. The sins of the father must be passed on to the son.  
  
There was a light tapping on Mac's closed door. It broke his concentration. It wasn't unexpected, though. "Come in, Lucky," Mac called out.  
  
Lucky walked in, not suited up since he was technically off duty and was called when he wasn't expected to be. "You wanted to see me?"  
  
"I need to ask you something about what happened last night, Lucky."  
  
"Go ahead, Mac. I've got nothing to hide," Lucky took a seat.  
  
"I know you don't," Mac said firmly. Lucky, he would be the first to admit, wasn't the best candidate for a cop when he signed up for the force. He was a Spencer, they had a history of not exactly being the most law abiding people in society, particularly Luke. He even took the job because he wanted to investigate what was going on with Summer's death at the hands of Stefan. A murder in which his father was unjustly accused of. But now with that case solved, Mac had seen that Lucky was one of the most dedicated people on his force, and one of the most trustworthy. Mac couldn't have been as wrong about Lucky being a member of the police force as he was. It should have showed him that he was oftentimes much too harsh in his judgments of other people. It didn't. One of the many mistakes that Mac had made in his life. "And I want to thank you for coming into my office even though you've been working so hard since last night. I do appreciate it."  
  
"I want to see that we get the right person for doing this as much as anyone else," Lucky looked up at Mac. In a way he idolized Mac. It was hard to explain, although he had never really tried to put the words out of his mouth. Mac was a lot of what Luke could never be, and that was a large part of the appeal. Mac was dedicated to a family that wasn't even his by birth, while Luke would often split town for months at a time at the most inopportune moments that he could find. Lulu was growing up without her father, and Luke didn't really seem to care all that much.  
  
"That's the exact reason why I've called you here."  
  
"I'm listening."  
  
"Do you think someone has an agenda against Damian Zuniga?" Mac asked.  
  
"I wouldn't say the agenda would be against Damian specifically, no," Lucky responded. "But I do believe that they wouldn't be above using him to put Sonny into a situation that could compromise his seat of power in the system that he works for. In fact, I'm almost certain that's the case that we have against us right now. I don't think Damian would have picked up a gun and just began mowing down people at whim. He's not that twisted."  
  
"I agree," Mac leaned against the edge of his desk. "But there are a lot of people that are in this force that do have an agenda against Sonny Corinthos and would not be above throwing his son into the fire just to see Sonny react. And, if Damian is found guilty of this crime, we all know that Sonny will react and we all know that it won't be pretty. The half dozen mobsters that died last night wouldn't be anything compared to what Sonny would do if his son got thrown in jail for life or was sentenced to death."  
  
"You think it was someone that works with us?" Lucky knew that the list was quite long, but he didn't think about it until the moment Mac brought it up, at least not in depth.  
  
"Like you said, he wouldn't do what we're trying to say he did, Lucky. I know the kid is innocent, you know the kid is innocent, but someone is trying to make the kid look guilty. We need to find out who that person is and stop them."  
  
"Any ideas?"  
  
"Do you really have to ask?" Mac responded immediately.  
  
Lucky didn't. He knew who was at the top of the list, "Lansing?"  
  
"Ric would do just about anything, if not anything, to see Sonny pay for whatever agenda he's got in that head of his. But that's why I needed to speak with you, Lucky. You were there at the scene when the evidence was found. Did Lansing act in any unusual way?"  
  
"He wasn't happy about it," Lucky said, recalling the events of the night before. "He looked shocked."  
  
"Do you think it was genuine?"  
  
"Actually... I do, but I don't know. Ric was able to lie to all of you for months about holding Carly captive. He was able to lie to Elizabeth, someone that he claims to love about the same thing. It's obvious that Ric can lie with the best of them and not feel bad about it." Lucky scanned his thoughts, "But, like I said, there was something about him last night. I think he doesn't hate Damian like he hates Sonny."  
  
"Ric hates everyone that has any ties to his brother, Lucky. We all know that he's established that by kidnapping Sonny's wife and his sister." Mac sighed, "But you might be right."  
  
"I don't think Ric could even make it stick if he tried. Anyone who has spent a minute with Damian knows that he doesn't have it in him to kill someone. It would go against everything that he believed in. Ric's smart. Twisted, but very smart. If he wanted to hurt Sonny, he would have picked a better way to do it than by trying to make Damian look like he was a murderer."  
  
"Maybe he tried... and Damian just got in the way."  
  
"I hadn't really thought about it like that," Lucky admitted. "It does make sense, though. Ric could have sent those people to their deaths and tried to get there in time to bust Sonny and Jason, but they were one step ahead and Damian just ended up being caught up in the middle."  
  
"It's not enough to drop the charges that have been implied on the kid, though," Mac's voice didn't hide the combination of anger and regret that he was feeling. "There's no way that the wallet couldn't have been Damian's?"  
  
Lucky shook his head, "I'm the one that found the wallet, Mac. I opened it before Ric did and saw Damian's identification on it. I don't have any reason to want to see him in trouble. Carly might hate him, but I don't."  
  
"Maybe she planted it..."  
  
"If Sonny even thought that she was working against his son, he'd make sure that she never saw her children again," Lucky said. "Carly's irrational, but she wouldn't do something that would compromise her rights as a mother and the time that she could spend with Michael and Morgan. She loves them too much."  
  
"Dammit!" Mac was emotionally and physically exhausted. "I wanted answers, and I'm not getting any no matter what I try!"  
  
"You're not the only one who wants to see this whole mess settled, Commissioner."  
  
Lucky and Mac turned around to see Ric standing in the doorway. Mac was the one to speak. It was his office, after all, "What do you want, Lansing?"  
  
"The same thing that you and Officer Spencer are after, apparently." Ric took a step inside. "I want to see that Damian is exonerated of everything that could be brought against him for the events of last night."  
  
"What's your reason, Ric?" Mac asked. "You've always got a reason for doing anything that doesn't involve helping yourself. Why should I just try and work with you if I don't know what the reason you've got for even trying to help save someone who is your brother's son?"  
  
"I shouldn't have to share my personal reasons with you, Commissioner."  
  
"You shouldn't, but you will," Mac insisted. "If anyone has anything to gain by watching Sonny crumble, it's you, Ric. We all know that."  
  
"You really should try and keep your Commissioner as objective as possible, Officer," Ric spoke directly to Lucky.  
  
"I'm afraid that I'm going to side with Mac on this one, Lansing," Lucky got up and stood next to Mac. "He never kidnapped my cousin, after all."  
  
"So that's what it comes down to?" Ric asked. "You've both got the mindset that I had something to do with trying to put Damian away?"  
  
"We just want to hear what you have to say about it, Ric," Mac said. "It doesn't hurt to tell us what you're thinking. It won't go out of this office."  
  
"I know that my nephew could not have committed the acts that are being placed on him," Ric said. "It's as simple as that."  
  
"Nothing with you is ever simple," Lucky muttered. "You're more convoluted than anyone else I've ever met, and I've come across some less than pleasant people in my time."  
  
"Elizabeth cares for him as well," Ric mentioned. "It would hurt her to see him get punished for something that he didn't do."  
  
"So you're doing this for your ex-wife?" Mac asked.  
  
"Do you really think that acting in defense of one of her friends will win her back, Lansing?" Lucky wondered. "She's seen you at your worst, there's no reason that she should have to ever even want you again."  
  
"But she does, Lucky. For some reason she's willing to give me more chances than she gave you. Maybe I've just got more to offer."  
  
"Both of you, that's enough," Mac ordered. "We can't lose track of what we're trying to accomplish here. I'll trust you, Ric. For now, at least. But if I see anything at all coming from you that makes it seem like you're working to put your nephew away, don't think I won't find a way to make sure that you lose that title that you hold in such high regard."  
  
"I'm looking for the same thing as both of you," Ric said. "We are trying to see to it that justice is served, and is not abused."  
  
"For once, you're actually acting with some sense of moral integrity," Lucky noted. "Keep it up, and I might actually start to like you."  
  
"I don't need your favor, Spencer, nor do I want it."  
  
Scott walked into the room, a grin on his face. "If there were three people I would have never expected to see engaging in idle chit chat, it would be you guys, and yet here you are. The Commissioner, the son of someone who is always on the wrong side of the law, and the corrupt attorney. Nonetheless, it's all of you that I wanted to see, so you've made my job a bit easier." Scott waved a file in his hand, "I've got a surprise for you..." 


	107. Threats

Joy- Your computer wasn't stupid, it was my own error, I added the same chapter twice, how very silly of me. Anyway, I took care of that so. Moments with 'Uncle Jason' are rare and fleeting for Damian, but it shows that they have a certain dynamic that can be very strong if it's fleshed out, much like just about every other relationship that Jason's in. I think he trusts Damian because Sonny does, and in some ways that's the easiest way for Jason to become tolerant of someone.  
  
It took 105 chapters for those two to get along, I wonder how many chapters it would have taken for Sonny and Carly to get it on if that whole saga had been written like this. Very compelling question, wouldn't you agree? The truce, as it stands, will have an effect on upcoming plot devices, but just how it does will be something that you'll have to wait and see about.  
  
Yes, very few of us actually like Baldwin. I personally loathe him as well and was very pleased when he went away. Nonetheless, I don't foresee his death coming in this story, certainly not anytime soon. I will have him dealt with eventually, though.  
  
Story-  
  
Hours Earlier-  
  
Scott was pacing around his office, waiting for something. It was very important that he and he alone be aware of the plotting that was going on in his mind. While there was a small part of him that felt somewhat apprehensible about the whole situation, Scott's ego got in the way and he wanted the fame that could come at busting someone for the massacre that had happened at the docks. The publicity would only cement his re-election, and he needed that more than anything else. He could toss his morals out the window again if it was for the good of everyone else. Serena would never know that her father was such a horrible man. She could never find out. If Scott lost Serena's love, it would destroy him. He'd lost so many people that he cared about. Laura, Bobbie, Karen... another person on that list... he couldn't go through that.  
  
In his twisted mind, Scott thought that maybe doing this stunt would help him gain Bobbie's favor again. It would certainly please Carly, and she would be indebted to him. Scott could use that favor to have Carly attempt to get them back together. If there was someone that could do it, Carly was that person. Bobbie would take the opinion of her daughter and give it some thought. They were much closer now than they were a few years ago, Scott could use that to his advantage. Scott would use that to his advantage.  
  
"District Attorney?" One of the many officers on the squad knocked on the door, a manila folder in his hand.  
  
"Can't you see I'm busy here?"  
  
The officer backed away a bit, "You requested that you be delivered this file as soon as possible. Have you changed your mind?"  
  
Scott shook his head and yanked the folder away, "Now, get the hell out of here!"  
  
"Of course," The officer replied, not wanting to even fathom putting his job in any danger. Scott had the power to go away with all of them if he so desired. It would be a bold move, but Scott could do it.  
  
An evil grin quickly spread like poison ivy over the face of Scott Baldwin. He was looking at the fingerprints that were taken of Damian Zuniga while he was momentarily in custody during the debacle with Kyle. It was the only time anything had ever been done to him so far, and Scott was thankful that they were able to get that far in the proceedings. It gave him the ammo that he needed to send Damian up the river. Quickly, Baldwin scanned the prints into the computer and rigged up a document saying that Damian's fingerprints were found on one of the weapons at the docks. It didn't have to be a murder weapon, although it likely was. All that mattered was that it was one of the guns that was found on the scene of the crime and that would have been enough to incriminate him. If Scott pressed the issue hard enough, he could make sure that Damian did get prosecuted and sent to the chair. Sonny could play the game better than a whole lot of people, but Scott wouldn't let him win this round. There was no way that Sonny was going to walk away from the situation without any repercussions.  
  
Scott quickly printed the document and held it in his hands. It felt like it was worth more money than anything else in the world. To Scott, it might have been. "Perfect," Scott muttered. To him... it was perfect.  
  
Present Time-  
  
"I was expecting you guys to be a little more enthused by my promise than you are right now," Scott smiled once more. "I thought you liked surprises."  
  
"Not when they come from you," Mac countered. "Rarely, if ever, are they for the benefit of anyone else in this town, Baldwin. But... since you're going to show us what you've got regardless of if we want to see it or not, let's get this over with."  
  
Scott pulled the file out of the folder. "Forensics just sent us the results of one of the murder weapon examinations. I'm sure the three of you know the person whose name comes up with a positive very well."  
  
Scott threw the single piece of paper onto the desk and Ric, Mac, and Lucky all huddled around it.  
  
"That can't be..." Ric was in shock.  
  
"There's no way," Mac thought of Maxie and how she was going to take the news.  
  
"He wouldn't..." Lucky's eyes were focused on Ric. He had taken what Mac had told him to heart. How was Ric reacting... and was it just an act, or was it genuine? Lucky still chose to believe the latter, but he wasn't sure why.  
  
"I would think that the whole lot of you would be happy that we've finally got something positive on this whole mess."  
  
"I don't believe it," Ric grabbed the paper. "This isn't true."  
  
"What makes you so sure?" Scott asked.  
  
"It just can't be!" Ric was almost frantic. "He wouldn't do this."  
  
"He's directly related to someone that we all know is a cold hearted killer. What makes you think that he wouldn't do it?"  
  
"Because we've seen him and the way that he acts around people," Mac stated. "I've been a harsh judge of him since the moment that I found out about his relationship with my daughter, but I wasn't being fair to him."  
  
"I don't even believe that this document you've given us is real," Lucky eyed the paper with caution. He'd seen more than few doctored reports in his time. Being the son of Luke Spencer was filled with such antics.  
  
"You got any proof that provides information otherwise?" Scott asked, entirely deadpan and acting like he was the innocent party in the entire situation. None of the others bought it, but he was right. They didn't have a shred of evidence that could prove that the document was false... at least not yet.  
  
"You can put it on paper all you want, Scott," Ric muttered. "I'm not going to believe that my nephew had anything to do with this."  
  
"You're living in denial... again, Lansing." Scott said. "Besides, it doesn't matter if you believe it or not, you've still got to go over to the penthouse and arrest him."  
  
"No," Ric refused.  
  
"Excuse me?" Scott was angry at that moment.  
  
"You heard me," Ric stated. "I'm not going to be the one that does your dirty work, not today."  
  
"You have to do this if I tell you to!" Scott shouted.  
  
"I'm too involved with this case on a personal level in order to do anything objectively enough."  
  
"That's never stopped you from going after your brother how many times in the past?" Scott asked, he knew that Ric was just using it as an excuse.  
  
"I'm not allowed to change my mind?" Ric wondered. "How many times in the past have you done it, Scott?"  
  
"Don't bring that up!"  
  
"Fact of the matter, Baldwin," Ric continued, "Is that it is a legitimate reason for not brining my nephew in. Try and force me into doing it and I will see to it that you are not going to be up for re-election."  
  
"Is that a threat?"  
  
"More like a statement of fact," Ric dryly countered. "Wouldn't you two say so?" He questioned the two around him, they both nodded their heads. "See? Witnesses."  
  
Scott's face turned a very alarming shade of red. It was obvious that he was irate. Such obviousness only made Ric, Mac and Lucky feel better about the entire situation. Finally, Scott threw his arms into the air, "Fine, be that way. You two, go get him."  
  
"I'm too involved with this case on a personal level as well, Scott," Mac commented. "He's dating my daughter, and she cares about him very much."  
  
"You always wanted to bring down that Kyle kid! And let's not talk about how many times you threatened to have Dillon arrested, or actually did arrest him."  
  
"All in the past," Mac brushed it off with a wave of his hand. "That doesn't hold any weight to the situation right now."  
  
Scott was 0 for 2 and wasn't going to strike out entirely. "Lucky... go."  
  
"Sorry, but he's family."  
  
"No he isn't!" Scott's voice almost cracked.  
  
"Second cousin by marriage," Lucky pointed out. "Or, at least, step- cousin."  
  
"I'm going to see to it that you all suffer for standing against me on this day!"  
  
"Is that a threat?" Ric asked the gathered party. Lucky and Mac nodded their heads. "Now, how could a threat like this look on a campaign for re- election?"  
  
"He wouldn't have my vote," Lucky stated. "Not that he ever did."  
  
"It looks like you're going to be doing this one on your own, Baldwin," Mac handed him the sheet of paper. "You might want this."  
  
"I'm going to bring Damian in regardless of if you choose to help me or not! Do you hear me!?"  
  
"I think he heard you over at the penthouse," Lucky said sarcastically. "You might want to calm down, Scott. Who knows what the pressure could do... even to a heart as black as yours."  
  
"I'm going to have the last laugh!" Scott walked out of the office, slamming the door shut.  
  
"You going to call him?" Lucky asked Ric.  
  
"Who? Sonny?" Ric shook his head. "Even if I tried to warn him about Scott being on the warpath, he wouldn't listen to me. Lucky... you might be able to do it."  
  
"Sonny doesn't trust me any more than he trusts you."  
  
"You could try Carly," Mac said.  
  
Lucky chuckled slightly, "If anything, Carly's going to make sure that Damian doesn't get away. They don't get along."  
  
"Does anyone get along with Carly?" Mac wondered.  
  
"Only on leap years," Lucky was trying to be as comedic as he could, but the truth was that he was more than a little worried about what could happen to Damian. Scott was ruthless. He had tried to see Luke go away for a very long time on more than one occasion. Luke managed to get away, but would Damian? Luke was a very different person from Damian.  
  
"I know Damian didn't touch that gun," Ric thought about the report. "I can't prove that it was a fake yet, but I know it was."  
  
"We all know it wasn't real," Mac said. "But Scott's done something like this before, he knows how to get away with playing the system to his advantage."  
  
Ric looked out the window, "Well then I guess we're just going to have to play the system better than he does."  
  
"Can we?" Lucky asked. "We have to," Ric replied. "If we don't... someone innocent is going to suffer just because Scott Baldwin needs his ego stroked. I won't let that happen." The ideas began to churn about in Ric's head. He would find a way to get Damian out of the situation he was in. Somehow... 


	108. Man in the Darkness

Joy- Yes, it is a very unlikely, probably not all that great alliance, but it is one of the best shots that Damian has at freedom, so we'd all best hope that something good comes from it, right? Scott's been known to burst a few blood vessels, so I thought it would have been funny to have it done in the story as well. We'll just have to see how all of this turns out.  
  
Story-  
  
Outside the Police Station-  
  
Scott, followed by some of his drones, or, rather, officers of the law, walked out of the station. If Scorpio, Lansing and Spencer weren't going to help him apprehend the 'criminal' that was fine, but he wasn't going to throw his chance away because they weren't willing to comply.  
  
There was one simple thing to take care of before he went to nab the catch, so to speak. Scott stopped himself, "Go and get the cars ready. We might need more than one." The officers complied and left him alone.  
  
Scott walked down the steps and turned the corner, "I never thought I'd be doing something with you."  
  
"Yes, well I can assure you that working with one such as yourself was not a very high item on my list of probable occurrences as well. However, we both stand to gain something from what we plan to see happen."  
  
"I haven't really figured out much of your motive yet," Scott admitted. "I mean, you hate Corinthos, sure, but a lot of people do. You seem to be doing this for another reason, though."  
  
"My reasons are my own, District Attorney."  
  
"Its Carly, isn't it?" Scott asked. When he got no answer he laughed, "Yeah, I was just as smitten by her mother. Those Spencer women, they've got something about them, what can I say?"  
  
"His continued presence in her household causes Carly much grief. Sonny is a fool who cannot see the pain that someone like Zuniga is making her go through. He is not worthy of her love."  
  
"I can see now why you helped Lansing kidnap her."  
  
"That was a dire mistake," Alcazar admitted. "One that I should have had the foresight to prevent, but I did not."  
  
"If it's any consolation, Alcazar, the women in this town seem to fall in love with the people that do the worst things to them." Scott instantly thought back to Luke and Laura's fabled love. "It's happened to be before, so I know it can happen again."  
  
"Your words give me no comfort, Baldwin."  
  
"Can't blame a guy for trying, can you?"  
  
"I suppose not."  
  
"Well, now that our idle chit-chat is over with, I'll be going..."  
  
Lorenzo grabbed Scott's wrist, "I am well aware of the success rate that this department has, Baldwin. You had best make sure that Zuniga's arrest goes through, or I will see to it that you are not even around to be a candidate for re-election."  
  
"You promised that you would find a way to get me back into office!"  
  
"And I will, should you not botch this job up," Lorenzo dryly commented. "I've worked with and against corrupt officials before, Baldwin. I don't very much enjoy engaging myself in politics, but for now we have a common agenda so I am giving you the benefit of the doubt. Do not make me regret it."  
  
"You won't regret anything, I promise."  
  
"Good," Lorenzo walked back into the shadows.  
  
Scott, suddenly feeling a chill up his spine, readjusted his jacket, "Creepy stalker." Without another word, Scott walked towards one of the squad cars and got in.  
  
Corinthos household-  
  
Damian was sitting on the couch, a book in his lap. Obviously, given off clearly by the look on his face, he wasn't enjoying himself.  
  
"What are you doing?" Michael came down in his jammies.  
  
"Studying."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Damian smiled, "I'm not entirely sure why, Michael. I guess because I have to do it in order to become a doctor."  
  
"You don't look like you're having a lot of fun."  
  
"Is it that obvious?"  
  
"Yup," Michael quickly responded.  
  
Changing the subject to something more Michael's level, Damian asked, "What are you doing up anyway? It's past your bedtime."  
  
"I don't have school tomorrow," Michael mentioned. "I don't have bedtime on the weekends."  
  
"You still need your sleep," Damian noted. "It helps make you hyper in the morning, which helps make everyone else a bit more energetic as well."  
  
"I don't want to go to bed," Michael protested.  
  
"You have another bad dream?"  
  
"No... I just don't want to go to bed."  
  
"You can't stay up forever."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because if you do you'll have big bags around your eyes. Do you want that?"  
  
Michael thought about it briefly before he had his answer, "No."  
  
"Then you need to get your rest."  
  
"What about you?"  
  
"I'll end up getting some sleep eventually," Damian admitted, although sleep seemed like something that was out of a fairy tale for him. "Once I memorize all the parts of the leg."  
  
"You can do it," Michael said. "You're smart. Daddy says that you're smarter than he is, which makes you the smartest person on the planet!"  
  
"Did he really say that?" Damian wondered. Sonny was obviously giving him too much credit. Sonny would have made sure that there was no evidence to his being at the crime scene. That was why the police were going after Damian and not Sonny, because Sonny was smarter than Damian.  
  
"You don't think you're smart?"  
  
"Not as smart as people want to think I am," Damian admitted, knowing full well that his little brother wouldn't question the statement in any way. Michael liked it when they were honest around him, and it sadly didn't happen as much as it should have. "I've done a lot of stupid things in my life, Michael, just like everyone else that's lived long enough to make them."  
  
"What mistakes did you make?"  
  
"Well, I left here the first time when I should have kept on living here and making sure that you were doing okay. I wasn't here for you when you needed me right away, and there's that whole situation with your mother."  
  
"She doesn't seem that mad at you anymore," Michael said. "When I look at her and you're in the room... I don't see it. Did you make up?"  
  
"We came to the conclusion that constantly yelling at one another and fighting over you wasn't doing anyone any good, especially you and dad. We care about everyone in this family too much to let our differences tear it apart, so we've agreed to at least try and be nice towards one another. I don't know how far it's going to get, but it's a step in the right direction, isn't it?"  
  
"Mommy's not mean... once you get to know her," Michael said. "Sometimes she seems like she's the meanest person on the planet, but she only does it because she's afraid of what could happen to the people that she loves."  
  
"She wants to keep those people safe, Michael, we both do." Morgan began to cry. It wasn't a wail, but it was certainly something that he could hear. Damian looked up the stairs. Morgan didn't cry as much as most babies did, but when he did cry it usually meant that something was wrong.  
  
"He doesn't mean to do it," Michael looked up the stairs as well. "Morgan just doesn't know how to take care of himself like big people."  
  
Sonny and Carly were out, and Leticia was taking a well deserved break from the rigors of being the boys' caretaker. Courtney was probably waiting on Jason as much as she could, there was no reason for her to come over. Damian got up, "Why don't we see what's wrong with Morgan?"  
  
"I thought you didn't like holding babies."  
  
"I don't, but I'm not going to wait for him to stop crying, that would be mean. After we take care of him, you're going to bed."  
  
"But I'm not tired..." Michael yawned.  
  
"You're not?"  
  
Michael blushed slightly, "Okay, maybe I am... but just a little bit."  
  
Damian chuckled softly, "Come on."  
  
The soft moonlight of the night sky went through the drapes that closed the window. In addition to the night-light that was on, Morgan's room was serenely lit in a very exotic and comforting manner. Damian felt more at peace just being there. But that peace was shattered by Morgan's continued cries. "Come on, Morgan... what's the matter?" Damian refused to be reduced to baby talk. It was beneath him. He picked Morgan up and went to the window. "You afraid of something?"  
  
"Maybe he thinks that you're going to leave again... sometimes, I do."  
  
Cradling Morgan on his shoulder firmly, Damian sat in the rocking chair, "Michael, I'm not always going to be here. I'm an adult, and eventually I'm going to find a life that doesn't involve living with our dad, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm still his son, and I'm still your brother."  
  
"I know..."  
  
"I'm sorry that I left the first time. It was a very big mistake on my part and I shouldn't have done it, but you don't have to worry about me just leaving again, and neither does Morgan."  
  
"You hear that, Morgan?" Michael asked as he walked up and looked at his little brother. "I don't think he did. He's asleep again."  
  
"Well, that was easier than I thought it would be," Damian wasn't complaining, of course. He rather liked that Morgan didn't take much hassle to get back into bed. "But, you know what that means, don't you?"  
  
"I'll go to bed," Michael stated in defeat, leaving out the door and heading into his room. Damian followed and watched as the boy crawled into his bed. "Maybe we can do something tomorrow."  
  
"Maybe we can," Damian said. "But the only way for you to find out if we do is if you go to sleep right now."  
  
"Night, Damian."  
  
"Night, kiddo."  
  
Damian closed the door and pondered sleeping as well. He wasn't going to enjoy staying up and suffering through countless hours of continued studying. It seemed like a good plan, until he heard the door knock. Damian opened it and saw Baldwin. "District Attorney Baldwin, how can I help you?"  
  
"By coming with me to the station."  
  
"I've already answered all the questions that you could ask me."  
  
"You're not coming to answer questions, Zuniga. You're under arrest." 


	109. Escorted

Joy- I do love it when I put the readers through the rigors of an emotional roller coaster! I mean, if that sounds a little sadistic, sorry, but it does fill me with a very high amount of enjoyment. Yes, when Michael does find out it's going to be a very bad thing. As for Sonny's enlightenment to his son's plight, well, you won't have to worry about waiting too long for that. Damian's adjustment with his newfound status quo shall indeed be a trial for him. Let's hope he gets through it.  
  
Story-  
  
Even if Scott Baldwin claimed that he wasn't going to answer questions, Damian was going to ask them. He closed the door behind him just in case Michael may have been woken up and tried to see what was going on. Even now, with his own life apparently coming into danger, he was much more concerned with keeping others safe from what was going on. "What grounds do you have to arrest me?"  
  
Scott snickered, "Your fingerprints were all over one of the many guns that were found at the scene of the crime, kid. Looks like you didn't take all the lessons you needed to in 'covering up the scene of a crime 101.' You may have been able to get by on circumstantial evidence with the wallet you dropped, but this is iron clad!" Scott turned his head to one of the officers that was standing next to him, "Book him."  
  
The officer began to read the rights as he pulled out the handcuffs, "You have the right to remain silent..."  
  
"What the hell is going on here?" Courtney asked, having heard some people coming up the elevator and knowing that they weren't Sonny and Carly. "What are you doing to my nephew?"  
  
"Your nephew is a cold-blooded killer, just like his dad and his uncle," Scott gave Courtney a cold eye. "Maybe I should expect the same from you, Courtney."  
  
"Let him go," Courtney ordered.  
  
Scott only shook his head, "It won't work this time, Courtney. We've got a warrant issued for his arrest dealing with the events that happened on the docks. It is very binding legally. If you even try to help him get out off those handcuffs, I will make sure that you are taken in with him for attempting to aid a wanted criminal."  
  
"He had nothing to do with this!" Courtney's voice went up a few notches. She didn't like Scott when he was just being Scott. Now he was trying to destroy her family, and it made her like him much less.  
  
"Fingerprint evidence seems to point out otherwise."  
  
"That can't be true," Courtney, much like everyone else before her, did not believe that Damian had anything to do with the situation. Of course, she was one of the few with enough inside knowledge to know that he truly had nothing to do with the whole situation, but she wasn't going to say anything about it in front of the cops. Damian wouldn't want her to put anyone else in danger just to save himself, even if he was entirely innocent.  
  
"We can continue this little discussion that we're having down at the station," Scott said. "I know that I'll see you there sometime tonight. Don't let me down."  
  
"Damian..."  
  
"Michael and Morgan are asleep. Don't leave them, Aunt Courtney." Damian knew that his statement couldn't be used against him. He was only looking out for the needs of those that were too young to understand what was going on.  
  
The elevator doors opened. Scott walked in, "I never was a fan of elevator rides, but with you cuffed next to me, I think I can have some fun."  
  
"You're a sick twisted..."  
  
Scott cut Courtney off, "You really should save your strength for trying to explain what happened right now to your brother. I'm sure he's going to love hearing about it." Scott gave a shallow wave, "See you soon, Courtney."  
  
Courtney, fighting back both an angered scream and tears of sorrow, went back to the house. She had closed the door and Jason was none the wiser. He knew that something was wrong by the look on his wife's angelic face. "What is it, Courtney?"  
  
"They took him..." She said. "Baldwin came and arrested Damian."  
  
"They can't arrest him, they don't have any evidence."  
  
"He said something about a fingerprint report coming back from the weapons at the docks. One of them had his fingerprints."  
  
Jason shook his head, "Damian never touched a gun at the docks! He's never touched a gun in his life!"  
  
"I know, Jason," Courtney walked over. "Don't try and fix things right now, okay?" She pleaded. "You're hurt... and it wouldn't help any of us at all to be worrying about you in addition to worrying about him."  
  
"I can't just sit here while someone else takes the blame for what I was involved in."  
  
"You've done it before," Courtney said, and the moment she said it she regretted it completely. "Jason... I didn't mean it like that."  
  
"You're right, I've let people take the blame for things that I've done before, but those people were never people that shouldn't have gotten what they deserved anyway. He's different, Courtney. I didn't want to believe it at first, but you saw it, Sonny saw it, Michael saw it... he doesn't have it in him to do anything that we do. He doesn't have it in him to destroy someone's life."  
  
"Jason..."  
  
"Maybe I should turn myself in..."  
  
Courtney disagreed with that in a hurry, "You can't do that, Jason! I don't want to lose you."  
  
"You'd rather Damian got blamed for doing something that he didn't do?"  
  
"Of course not!" Courtney defended herself. "But it would be a whole lot harder to make you look innocent in front of a jury than it would to make Damian look innocent. Jason, you can't throw yourself into the fire this time, you might not make it back."  
  
"Ric had something to do with this..." Jason quickly surmised. "When my leg heals, I'm going to make sure that he can't hurt anyone ever again..."  
  
"He said he wanted to help," Courtney muttered.  
  
"The only person he ever wants to help is himself, Courtney! You've seen what he's done in order to get what he wanted. He's kidnapped both you and Carly, he's poisoned the woman that he claims to love, he's made it seem like he's slept with people just so he can pull a guilt trip on them. Ric Lansing has no soul."  
  
"You don't have to convince me," Courtney's mind flashed back to every moment that Ric had caused her or her family some sort of grief. She hated him as much as everyone else. "Why wouldn't he be the one to come arrest Damian? Even if he knew that Sonny wasn't here, he'd still have the bragging rights and someone would have seen him take Damian away."  
  
"Are you trying to analyze how that psychopath thinks?" Jason asked.  
  
"I don't know, Jason, all right?" Courtney was frustrated. "I've seen so many people get hurt or get blamed for doing something that they had nothing to do with since I've come here, but every time you or Sonny or Carly have somehow managed to help me deal with the fallout... I don't think that I can deal with this one. I don't think I can just keep on going in knowing that someone like Damian had to be the one to suffer because of this life."  
  
"If you walk out that door, I won't stop you..."  
  
"I can't," Courtney looked into Jason's eyes. "When I married you, I promised to accept the things that happened in our lives... for better or for worse. I don't want to break those vows."  
  
"If they're hurting you emotionally, Courtney, I don't want you to go through with them just to make me happy."  
  
"I can't just walk away from this life, Jason," Courtney got up. "I have people that I care about that live in this tower. I have three nephews, two of which I know wouldn't be able to understand what happened and why I left. I don't want to have Michael asking me why I can't be around him as much if I do leave. I don't want to miss the chances that I missed with Michael and Damian with Morgan as well. I want to be a constant source of love in their lives. I can't do that if I leave."  
  
"You're always putting your needs behind everyone else's, Courtney. I want you to know that we all appreciate how much you sacrifice for all of us."  
  
"I wouldn't make the sacrifices if I didn't feel that it was the right thing to do." Courtney eyed the door for no particular reason, the events of a few minutes before running through her mind. "He told me not to leave Michael and Morgan."  
  
"They're at the house alone," Jason said. "Sonny and Carly are out, they gave Leticia the night off. If you want, I can call her, she'll come back."  
  
Courtney shook her head, "Damian told me to stay with them. That's what I'm going to do."  
  
"Someone has to call Sonny and Carly."  
  
"I'll do it when I get to the penthouse." Courtney went for the door, "Jason, stay here. Don't make me leave the door open just so I can see that you're not trying to fix everything like you always do."  
  
"I won't leave."  
  
"Promise me," Courtney's eyes showed that sincerity in them. They were eyes that made Jason never want to lie, never want to hurt those beautiful eyes.  
  
"I promise."  
  
Courtney closed the door and left Jason alone. Jason looked down at his bandaged leg. If it weren't for Damian... they might have gotten arrested. He could have lost a lot of blood.  
  
Less than a minute later, Courtney opened the door to the penthouse. Everything looked so in order. They kept the place as spotless as possible, even with an infant and a little boy running around freely. Courtney, her hand shaking somewhat, reached out for the phone and hit the speed dial that would give her Sonny's phone. She called Sonny's phone on purpose, not entirely sure how Carly would take the news.  
  
Elsewhere, New York City, New York-  
  
Sonny and Carly sat at the table in some high priced eatery. Of course, to Sonny Corinthos nothing was high priced, and to Carly Corinthos nothing could be too high priced for her tastes. It didn't matter to either of them, though. For the first time in recent memory, they were truly happy about everything that had happened in their lives. Before it could have just been Sonny who was happy, or just Carly, but now they were both content with the path that had been taken in their lives.  
  
"I don't want this night to end," Carly admitted, resting her head on Sonny's shoulder.  
  
"Neither do I, but we've got a family to get back to," Sonny grinned. "We can do this again, though. We can do this every night if you want."  
  
Carly shook her head, "I love the offer, but I want to be there for my children when they need me. Getting away once in awhile is fine, but I need to be around them more than anything else. Don't you agree?"  
  
"I do," Sonny said. "They should never forget how much we love them, but if we do constantly leave them alone, they might think it."  
  
"Maybe we could do something together... the whole family... like Michael wanted..."  
  
"Getting us all together in the same room for something that wasn't life threatening? Are you sure you're feeling okay."  
  
"Some families get together for happy occasions, Sonny," Carly knew he was being sarcastic, so she replied in the same tone.  
  
"Some families aren't our family. But I'd like that, I'd like that more than anything else." Sonny's phone began to ring.  
  
Carly sighed, "Tell whoever it is to leave us alone..."  
  
Sonny looked at the caller ID, "It's someone from the house, Carly. I should answer it." Sonny pressed the answer button, "Hello? Damian?" He figured that it would be Damian, since he was in charge for the evening. Sonny didn't understand why Carly would just let him watch her children, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. "Courtney, calm down... what's wrong?" Carly looked at Sonny, trying to hear what Courtney was saying to him through the phone but with very little success. "What do you mean?" Sonny asked. He sighed heavily, "All right, we're on our way back. Make sure the boys stay in bed, please."  
  
Carly studied her husband's face. Something was troubling him. "Sonny?"  
  
"The cops came and arrested Damian, Carly. They said that they found evidence saying that he used one of the murder weapons."  
  
"But..."  
  
"Don't," Sonny said. "Let's go... someone's trying to hurt my son, and I'm going to find out who it is and stop them..." 


	110. Unusual Request

Port Charles Police Department-  
  
Damian sat there in silence, in the interrogation room. He had been there several times before, and each time was just as uncomfortable as the time before. He didn't like the scrutiny, and he certainly didn't like that each time he was brought into the room it was based entirely on something that he had nothing to do with.  
  
It was a long car ride, not because of the distance, but because of the feeling of disdain that he felt for what was going on. He was innocent, wasn't the law supposed to protect the innocent?  
  
Earlier-  
  
Scott Baldwin had made certain that he was in the car with Damian. He had chosen to sit in the front, which was a show of some restraint. The thought should have made Damian a little bit more comfortable with the situation, but it didn't. A part of him felt like shedding a tear due to the injustice that was committed upon him, but he would not show such weakness, especially around someone like Baldwin. No doubt, Scott would use that against him in some way. He wasn't even talking at all, which is something that the District Attorney did indeed take note of. "You know," Scott started, "If you have anything to say at all about what happened on the docks... I'm all ears. I promise that I won't hold it against you."  
  
"I don't believe you," Damian muttered.  
  
Scott smiled, "You're smarter than you look. You should never trust anyone in this town, especially those that have power over you. That includes your father, you know."  
  
"I trust my father fully," Damian said defiantly, although he wasn't entirely sure how much of the statement was true in his heart. He did trust Sonny, and he loved him as well... but Sonny had let this get out of hand, and he wasn't supposed to do that. Damian wouldn't ask that Sonny sacrifice himself for his son... but would Sonny do it anyway? Damian would have, if he had been the father. Was Sonny really as moral as he claimed to be? Damian wanted to believe that he was, but he wasn't entirely certain one way or the other.  
  
"That's only going to get you hurt in the end, kid," Scott mused. "Trusting people in this town always gets you hurt..."  
  
"I'll choose to take the risk."  
  
"Don't say I didn't warn you." Scott looked at Damian through the mirror, "I'd almost feel bad about making you take the blame for this, Damian, but I've seen you people get away with too much since I've been here and I am going to make sure that it ends one way or the other."  
  
"Don't start showing that you have a heart now, Baldwin, it's bad form."  
  
"I didn't always used to be like this," Scott admitted.  
  
"Well I guess I'm just not blessed enough to be around someone who is actually a decent human being, am I?"  
  
"Another word of advice, don't irk the person that can send you to jail for a very long time."  
  
"I'll take my chances," Damian stopped talking. He had no reason for idle chit-chat with such a person like Scott Baldwin.  
  
Present-  
  
He shouldn't have even let anything that Scott Baldwin told him have any effect on how he was thinking, but it did. Damian was more afraid now than he had ever been before in his life. Even when the possibility of death at the hands of Faith was very likely, he wasn't as afraid. It would have been quick and painless had she just shot him. Damian was now looking at years in prison, if not the death penalty. That was what scared him, rotting away in some cell while life went on around him. He had just gotten a family, he had just started to actually care for most of the people in that family in the same way that he cared for his family in Los Angeles... he couldn't just be taken out of their lives. He'd never see Michael grow up, he'd never hear Morgan talk or walk for the first time. He'd have to leave Maxie... and she might end up being with someone like Kyle again if he wasn't there to be her foundation. Damian couldn't stand the thought of Maxie being with someone that would hurt her, but he couldn't do anything about it if he was dead or in prison.  
  
He was only 21 years old... he shouldn't have been worrying about such things. He should have been laughing and making sure that his family life wasn't falling apart at the seems. Jason was right, he had helped a lot of people by coming to Port Charles, but in a very big way it was a one way street. All that he seemed to have for all his troubles was a lot of pain, both physical and emotional, although there was certainly more of the latter. He thought that it outweighed his pain, but as he sat on the cold metal chair, his hands leaning on the lifeless square table, he was beginning to reevaluate his position on the situation.  
  
He was also beginning to wonder if he should really look into getting an attorney. He didn't think he needed one, even when Ric was constantly telling him that he did. He was very foolish in that regard, living in the world of optimism, thinking that it did work the way he wanted it.  
  
Ric had been watching Damian since a few minutes after he came in. His heart went out to his nephew, and, regardless of what some people thought of him, he did have a heart. Damian hadn't looked at the window, he had spent some much time with his head buried, looking at the ground. It was obvious that he was in so much pain. He needed to help. Ric went for the door handle.  
  
"What happened to being too emotionally involved in the case, Lansing?" Scott asked, watching Ric watch Damian.  
  
"I've since changed my stance on the situation," Ric countered, not giving Scott a look.  
  
"Don't give me that."  
  
"I'm going to see my nephew regardless of how you feel about the situation, Scott. Don't even try and stop me."  
  
"Fine, have fun." Scott watched Ric walk in and grinned, "I know I am."  
  
Damian looked up as he heard the door open. He wanted to believe that it was his father coming to get him out of the situation as he had done before. When he saw Ric, though, his hopes were instantly dashed. "What are you doing here?" He asked.  
  
"I came to offer you some support."  
  
Damian snickered, "How do I know that you aren't the one that tried to do this, Uncle Ric?"  
  
"I promise you, Damian, I had nothing to do with this entire situation. I know that Scott is trying to frame you for something that you didn't do."  
  
"Then get me out of here!" Damian demanded before toning himself down a bit, "Please... Uncle Ric... I didn't do anything."  
  
"It's not that simple, Damian," Ric said. "Scott's got some evidence, both circumstantial and fabricated that pins both you being at the docks on the night of the massacre and holding one of the weapons that was found there."  
  
"I'd never touch a gun!" Damian pointed out. "They go against everything that I believe in."  
  
"I don't believe the forensics report anymore than you do," Ric said. "Scott's crafty, he knows how to make something look real when it isn't. I think that's what he's doing right now."  
  
"I can't get out of here, can I?"  
  
Ric shook his head, "I don't think so."  
  
"I don't even have an attorney."  
  
"I told you to get one the last time you were here."  
  
"Could you do it for me?" Damian asked. "Could you be my attorney?" 


	111. Survival Skills

Note: Not to brag or anything of the like, but I did a page count recently of how long the story has gotten from start to where it was at that time and it turned out to be 523 pages! I can't believe that it's gotten that long, and I can't believe that you people have remained interested in the story as you have. I can't tell you have much I appreciate how you all take interest in what I have to tell. Thank you, so much. I only hope I can keep you entertained for as long as it takes me to finish this.  
  
Joy- You weren't expecting that request on the part of Damian, were you? When I decided to add this sub-plot into the story I knew I wanted to put something where Damian would basically put his fate in Ric's hands, if even for a moment. But, maybe Ric's not going to give the response that people would think. Just check out and see...  
  
Story-  
  
Ric had worked hard to keep his face as blank as possible when something that was said or done had, in some way, jolted him towards feeling some particular emotion. However, all the training that he hard forced himself into hadn't prepared him for something like he was going through at that moment. As much as he tried to hide it, Ric couldn't. The shock was very apparent on his face. His nephew, the son of his half-brother, whom he had an extremely complicated relationship with, was asking him for a favor? Did Sonny even allow such things in his family? Ric wasn't sure. Ric wanted to find out. "You do realize what you're asking of me... right?"  
  
Damian shifted uneasily, he knew that his father wasn't going to like the way that the conversation he was having with his Uncle was going. But, like in many instances, Damian couldn't really care less about his father's opinion in the matter at hand. It was his life and no one else's. He needed an attorney, and his uncle was an attorney. He was apparently a good one if he was the assistant District Attorney. Simple logic gave him a complex answer. Wasn't that an oxymoron of sorts? Damian realized that he was giving his uncle an unreasonable amount of silence. If anything that was said about Ric Lansing was true then that was a bad thing. If anything that was said about Ric Lansing was true... then Damian shouldn't have even been thinking about trusting him. But that was what he was going to do. He didn't really have a choice. He wanted to get out of jail... and he'd do whatever it took. "Can you do it?"  
  
Ric thought about it. On some level he couldn't, since he was the ADA and that meant that he should have been trying to find a way to convict Damian of the crime rather than be his salvation. But, even as the ADA, he still had the right to take a variety of cases. He hadn't really done any court work in some time, but he knew that he could do it for Damian. There were of course many problems that were in their way. Scott wouldn't back down, he had tasted the blood and he was going in for the kill. And then there was the looming issue of spending time with Sonny. Let alone working with Sonny. "I don't know..." Ric said with hesitation very heavy in his voice. "Your father wouldn't have me working to defend you."  
  
"My father doesn't control my life."  
  
Ric laughed, "You really believe that?"  
  
Damian cocked an eyebrow, "What's that mean?"  
  
"Sonny Corinthos controls every aspect of every single life that he comes into contact with," Ric said. "Look at the way that he has everyone that is around him wrapped around his finger. Jason's a mindless drone that would do anything for Sonny if he asked. Courtney's been tainted with the violence of the life that her brother has and is still fooling herself into thinking that her love is enough to excuse it. Carly's... always been a strange case."  
  
"You shouldn't speak of your family like that."  
  
"How do they speak of me, Damian?" Ric asked. "You've been around them long enough to see that they will never forgive me for the mistakes I've made in my past, regardless of how hard I try and get their respect and trust. I may have never truly had Sonny's trust, but there was a time when he didn't look down upon me as much as he does now. The ironic thing was that when he was accepting of me the only thing that I wanted was to destroy him, to get back at him for what happened with our mother. Now that he does hate me... I try and somehow get that hatred to lessen, but no matter what I try and do it won't happen."  
  
"So you're not going to help me?"  
  
"I can't."  
  
"Can't? Or won't?"  
  
"Damian," Ric started, "I want to help you, I really do. But I look at everything that could possibly happen and the things that I know will happen, and I know that I can't take the risk. I'll do what I can from the inside, since I know that you're not innocent, but I cannot be your representing attorney."  
  
"What do I have to do in order to get out?"  
  
"You can't get out, not tonight."  
  
"I don't want to stay here..."  
  
"You'll be fine," Ric assured his nephew, although he wasn't certain that Damian would be fine. The son of Sonny Corinthos in a very public area was a big target. The only way to get Damian out of the situation he was in was to show that he was more of a danger inside the building than outside. But if that were true, they would transfer him somewhere else, somewhere much worse. Ric didn't want that. Damian didn't want that. And Ric knew for certain that Sonny didn't want that either. "This is the best place for you under the circumstances."  
  
"You said that you know I didn't do it..."  
  
"I know you didn't do it."  
  
"Why are you defending me?" Damian asked. "Uncle Ric, a part of you has to see this as a way to get back at my father for whatever it is that you think he did to you."  
  
"A part of me does," Ric admitted. "But it's the part of me that I can't let control my motives anymore. The last time I let myself fall into my darker side I almost pushed Elizabeth away completely, and I can't stand to have that happen again. She might not give me another chance."  
  
"You're doing this strictly for Elizabeth then?"  
  
Ric shook his head, "No. I'm doing it because she cares about you, but even more than that because you're the one that doesn't hold what I've done against me. You're the one that's tried to accept me for my past and who I am now. You're the only one in that family who actually considers me family. You need to know how much I appreciate that."  
  
"You're flawed, but everyone is. They can't see past that... much like they couldn't see past me and who I claimed to be at first. We're more alike than you think."  
  
Ric got up and opened the door, "Yeah, we are. I know that if I were in here, I'd hate it too."  
  
"Don't I get a phone call?"  
  
"Do you need it? Sonny knows that you're here. We both know that he does."  
  
"Not to call my dad..."  
  
"You're not calling Maxie," Mac walked into the room, pushing past Ric. He eyed Lansing, "Could you give us some time alone, please?"  
  
"Go easy on him, Mac."  
  
"Nothing will happen," Mac assured Ric. Ric closed the door, leaving the two alone. "I'm sorry that you're in here, Damian."  
  
"You got your wish, Mac," Damian stated. "You can go to Maxie and point out that I'm really no better than my father, that's why I'm in here, because I'm a cold hearted criminal."  
  
Mac shook his head, "You're in here because Scott Baldwin is lying and keeping you in here."  
  
Damian couldn't believe what he was hearing, "Excuse me?"  
  
"I saw you at the graveyard, Damian. I saw you act like no one else has ever acted around my daughter, not even me or Georgie. You were there for her when no one else could be, because you let her be who she needed to be at that moment without trying to judge her. You didn't take advantage of her."  
  
"I would never take advantage of her... or anyone else."  
  
"Which is why I know that you're not the one that did anything wrong at the docks. You've got more friends than enemies in here... we won't let anything happen."  
  
"Why don't you want me to call Maxie?" Damian asked.  
  
"Because she'll worry about you, more than she already is. Maxie's in a very unstable state of mind right now, Damian. She's still not sure how she should feel about Felicia."  
  
"Her feelings of abandonment in regards to her mother are entirely valid."  
  
"I know that."  
  
"But Felicia is still her mother," Damian mused. "She should be there for her mother regardless of their past, no matter how painful. But it would hurt Maxie to force herself into doing something that she didn't want to do. I don't want Maxie in pain, and I can only assume that Felicia doesn't either."  
  
"Felicia misses them," Mac said. "But she made her choice and we have to live with it one way or another.  
  
"Could I ask for a favor, Mac?"  
  
"What is it?"  
  
Damian looked out the window, would he ever truly be able to look out another window again? "When you see her... tell her that I'm fine and that no matter what happens, I'll always care about her."  
  
"You make it seem like you won't ever get out," Mac observed.  
  
"Maybe I won't, Mac. We don't know for sure."  
  
"I won't let you be unjustly sentenced."  
  
Damian smiled, "I appreciate that you're trying to fight for me, I really do, but you can't be that objective about it, Mac. People are always convicted, even if they are truly innocent."  
  
"I have to believe that everything will be okay, Damian. It's the only way that I can continue to do what I do."  
  
"Don't get too optimistic on my case."  
  
An officer walked in, "Commissioner... if you're finished with the convict... we need to take him to his holding cell."  
  
Mac, his eyes filled with the pain that he was feeling, eyed Damian. There was nothing that he could do, "Don't let it get to you, Damian. Stay hopeful."  
  
"It's the only way I know how to stay, Mac," Damian replied as he was handcuffed again and led out of the room. "The only way I can survive..." 


	112. The Moral Enemy

Corinthos Household-  
  
The whole ride home from the city, Sonny was silent. At times it could be something that Carly wanted, because she knew that his silence at that time meant that he had nothing on his mind, nothing to take over his rational thoughts. However, she knew very well that this was not one of those times, and she knew that she should have been very afraid that Sonny wasn't ranting about something. When he was his most quiet was when he was the angriest at what was going on. She didn't blame him at all for his anger, though. She knew, they all knew, that Damian was innocent. Even if they hadn't been made aware of the fact that he was only at the docks because he wanted to protect his father and Jason, they would have known. Carly wouldn't have believed it, even if the two of them hadn't made the truce that they did earlier. She knew that Damian, for all his faults, couldn't kill someone. He might have been trying to steal her family away from her, but he could never take a life like that.  
  
Carly tried several times to get Sonny to say something, anything, but each time was met with equal success, which was to say that it was met with no success at all. After the third time she knew that the situation, for the time, was entirely helpless. Until Sonny could think clearly, until he could become an effective parent again, she would have to be the one that did the planning. She would have to be the one to hold his temper in check, because she was the only one who could truly do it. Throughout all their ups and downs, Sonny and Carly had a strong bond that could never truly be severed, although there were many times when people tried, and failed after what appeared to be momentary success. Carly, until recently, had seen Damian as one of those people, but she was beginning to realize just how wrong about the boy she was. Now, she wanted to see that he was treated fairly along with the others. Would they believe her sudden change of heart, though? She had spent so long trying to find a way to bring him down to his knees and out of their lives. Carly had made so many mistakes in the recent weeks, and she couldn't even let some of those mistakes be found out by anyone, because it would really tear at her marriage. She knew that she and Sonny could survive a lot, even some forms of betrayal, but if Sonny even thought that Carly had something to do with everything that had happened, it would be over.  
  
They stood in front of the door, Max was guarding it from the outside. Although Courtney could fend for herself, Sonny was still more than insistent that there be a guard around the door, especially now. Seeing Max there did not ease Sonny at all. In fact, all it did was make him even more cross. "Max," Sonny said his name with so much weight that it was frightening, "What happened?"  
  
Max respected Sonny very much, but there was never really a time when Max outright feared his boss... until that moment. Max knew that he could fail Sonny in some ways and manage to maintain his position in Sonny's organization. If there was a botched up shipment or something of the like, Sonny would not be as angry as he could be. Sonny understood, at times, the fact that humans were prone to errors. Sonny refused to understand that errors could be made when it came to being the caretaker of his sons. When it was Michael and Morgan, that was fine, but now with Damian added into the mix without very much time or even knowledge of his existence before he came, it became something of a problem. Max could keep Michael from getting hurt, and he never had to really watch Morgan with any heavy caution, since the baby was almost always with his nanny or at least with one of his parents. Damian was another matter altogether, though. He was an adult, someone who didn't need, nor want, to be treated like he was an infant or a small boy. Damian understood that Michael and Morgan needed certain precautions in order to stay safe, but Max understood and respected Damian's decision to not exactly follow the same protocol as his younger brothers. Had Max been Sonny's illegitimate bastard son, he would have acted the same way, at least in that respect. Now, Max's choice was going to get him into some trouble with his boss.  
  
"I'm waiting for an answer, Max!" Sonny roared.  
  
Max felt the few beads of sweat trickle down his brow. "They... had a warrant, Mr. Corinthos. I wouldn't have let them get past me, but they had every legal document that they needed."  
  
"That shouldn't matter!" Sonny, as predicted, wasn't listening to reason. When he was infuriated, everything was black or white. Max had failed to protect his son, for whatever reason, he had failed. "You should not have let them take him!"  
  
"He's not the only one who let the cops take Damian away, Sonny."  
  
Sonny spun around and saw Jason leaning against the door, still nursing his injury. It was painfully obvious that Sonny had gotten home. He only hoped that Sonny's outburst had not woken up the children. "Jason..."  
  
"We couldn't do anything," Jason said.  
  
Sonny shook his head, "You could have done something, Jason. You can always do something."  
  
Jason agreed on some level, "You're right, Sonny, we could have gotten Damian away from the cops and got him out of the country, which would only have gotten him into more trouble when he came back."  
  
"He wouldn't have come back," Sonny said. "I know how to make people disappear without killing them, I'm doing it for Zander, aren't I?"  
  
"This is different," Jason commented.  
  
"How is it different?" Sonny wanted to know.  
  
"You know how it's different, Sonny," Jason responded immediately. "If you actually take the time to curb your anger and think about Damian, think about who your son is, you'll find the answer. You know him better than ever, Sonny. You've gotten a better relationship over such a short time. Think about it."  
  
Sonny did think about it. Even when irate, he still took Jason's opinions to heart. No matter how much Sonny thought otherwise, he knew deep down that Jason would always act in Sonny's best interests. He thought about his son, someone who he could respect and care for. Someone that he felt so much pain over not being around when he was needed, not being there to watch his son grow. Damian claimed that he didn't care about those things, but Sonny knew better. Sonny had the same thing happen to him, and even if he had said to Mike that he didn't care about the past, it would have been a lie. There was no way that anyone could just not care about not having a father around. Sonny knew that for a fact. He also knew that maybe, just maybe, Damian was better without him being around. Sonny wasn't the best influence, no matter how hard he tried to be around Michael and Morgan. He knew that there would be a time when he would be exposed for what he really did. Damian took it hard, very hard, and he had only been living with Sonny for a few weeks at the time. Michael and Morgan, when they would eventually find out, would be living with Sonny for most of, if not all of, their lives. Would that only amplify the feeling of betrayal? The shadow of doubt loomed over Sonny's heart, and at that moment he needed to be as confident as possible. His son depended on him being flawless.  
  
Sonny also knew that Damian was selfless. He wouldn't let anyone get in trouble because of him. It was the reason why he was staying silent about what really went down at the docks, even though it had apparently cost him his freedom. Even if Max had tried, Damian would have stopped him. Damian wouldn't have wanted Max to get in trouble as well, it just wasn't who he was. Sonny sighed, "I'm sure you did what you could, Max. I'm sorry that I jumped on you like that."  
  
Max brushed it off, "Don't worry about it, Mister Corinthos. If Damian were my son, I'd act the same."  
  
Sonny nodded. "Jason... go back to the house and rest."  
  
"You sure you don't need me?" Jason asked, since he really didn't think that spending more time on his back was going to help anyone, least of all him.  
  
"Jason, I need you fully healed from the wound, and in order for that to happen I can't let you do anything that would make the healing time any longer. Get some rest." That last part was a direct order.  
  
Jason, never one to doubt his mentor and best friend, succumbed. Even though he knew it was the right thing to do, he didn't enjoy it at all. "If you need anything..."  
  
"I know where you are," Sonny quickly cut in.  
  
"Stay healthy, Jase," Carly said.  
  
Sonny returned his focus to his guard, "Max, if anything happens, if anyone tries to get back up here and they don't have a warrant, make sure you stop them and call me."  
  
"Can do, Mister Corinthos."  
  
Sonny walked into the house, with Carly holding his hand. When they closed the door, Carly shook her head, "You had no right to take Max's head off like that."  
  
"I wasn't thinking."  
  
"And if you don't start thinking you're never going to help you son," Carly pointed out. "You don't want Damian to be in that prison cell forever, do you?"  
  
"Do you?" Sonny asked.  
  
"I told you already, Sonny... I'm over it."  
  
Sonny grabbed his temples, "I'm sorry, Carly. This is just so hard for me to get a grip on. Don't get angry at me for saying things right now, I don't mean them."  
  
"Maybe you should get some rest."  
  
"No!" Sonny opposed that idea very forcefully. "I'm not getting any rest until I know that my son is okay."  
  
"Sonny..."  
  
"It's out of the question, Carly," Sonny said. "I am not going to rest, because even if I tried I know that I would just keep on flashing back in my mind to the part where I failed my son, and that would keep me up enough."  
  
"You didn't fail him."  
  
"Maybe not in your eyes, maybe not in his eyes, but I did in my own."  
  
Carly's face showed her sadness, "You're being way too hard on yourself, like always. Sonny, you can't always be responsible for the world's pain."  
  
"But I am responsible right now."  
  
"You're not thinking..."  
  
Sonny sat down, "No, Carly, I'm not thinking about turning myself in. I wouldn't survive there... and as much as I want to help him, I know that I can't just let myself get confined in that cell... it would kill me. People might not come after me, but that's the least of my worries if I ever go to prison."  
  
"We won't ever let you go," Carly said in a comforting tone. "Jason and I would do anything to make sure that you got out. We'd run away, we'd never be seen again. We could take the kids and start over."  
  
"It's so easy with me," Sonny observed. "I'm willing to do anything in order to get out of trouble, but Damian wouldn't agree to that if we gave him that solution in order to fix his problems. He wouldn't leave this town, he wouldn't leave this family. Right now my biggest worry is that my worst enemy in solving this problem is my own son..." 


	113. On the Verge

Kayla- Don't worry about it, I realize that at times stuff comes up. As it stands, I probably won't be able to write anything for the story tonight because I have to study for a test tomorrow and whatnot. I'm glad you're enjoying what's happening so far. Maxie's reaction will be an interesting chapter to say the least.  
  
Story-  
  
Courtney had been watching Michael for a few minutes. Her nephew, all of her nephews, she loved them so much. She ran a hand through Michael's hair and smiled. She had the chance for herself to be a mother taken away from her because of Alcazar. She thought about how she would have eventually be watching her own child like she was watching Michael. Of course her child would have different hair color, but the point would remain the same. The baby would be hers, hers and Jason's. He could have that gap that he still felt when he gave up his paternal rights to Michael filled at last. She knew how much he loved Michael and how much it hurt him when he signed the rights over to Sonny. It was for the best, Carly was in love with Sonny and Michael did look up to Sonny as his own father. Jason had no true tie to Michael outside of being his uncle through AJ, and he had been gone, out of Michael's life for an extended period of time.  
  
Courtney had heard the door open and had also heard Sonny and Carly talking. She didn't want them to wake up Michael and alert him to the situation that was happening. They all took so much precaution when it came to making sure that Michael and Morgan stayed in the dark as much as possible when it came to the things that went on in their family. It wasn't the ideal situation to raise any child in. Maybe, just maybe, it was a good thing that she lost the child. It didn't make the loss any less painful to deal with.  
  
She stayed in the walkway as she listened to Sonny talk about how difficult it was going to be to help Damian because of his morals. It was true, Damian wasn't going to just let something illegal happen because of his imprisonment. She wouldn't want it to happen either, had it been her. The shocking part was that Sonny also admitted that he almost wanted his son to not be as pure as he was. Courtney resented that very much. She knew that Sonny and Jason and even to a certain extent Carly lived their lives a certain way, but that didn't mean that everyone around them had to be like that as well. She loved them all for who they were, but it was painfully obvious that Sonny at least didn't feel the same way. It was sad and very disappointing to her. She wouldn't say anything about it, though. What happened between Sonny and Damian was their business and their business alone.  
  
Still, she wasn't going to let anyone, even her brother, badmouth her nephew because of his nobility. She continued her trek down the stairs, "The boys are still asleep."  
  
Sonny turned around, "Thank you for watching them."  
  
"I'd do anything for them, Sonny. You know that."  
  
Carly smiled warmly, "We still appreciate that you dropped everything to make sure that they had someone with them."  
  
"Damian asked me to watch them because he couldn't do it," Courtney had the vision of her nephew being taken away like he was a criminal. Like he was his father. "I couldn't let him down, not when he didn't have any other choice."  
  
"If we hadn't have left..." Sonny started.  
  
Courtney stopped him, "You couldn't have done anything, Sonny."  
  
"I can always do something," Sonny retorted.  
  
"They had a warrant, regardless of if it was actually a true warrant or not, it was binding and entirely legal." Courtney sighed, "I wanted to do something, I really did, but I knew that I couldn't. He wouldn't have wanted me to throw myself in the fires for him anyway."  
  
"I'm going to help him in any way I can, regardless of if he likes it or not."  
  
Courtney shook her head, "You promised him that you wouldn't do anything like that to help him, remember? Sonny, the last time he left was because you lied to him, if you do it again... do you really think he'll come back?"  
  
"Are you saying that I should just let him suffer in there?" Sonny asked, somewhat angered by the perceived implication that his sister was giving him.  
  
"Of course not!" Courtney exclaimed. "But I'm say that anything you do should be entirely legal. Sonny, you've gotten off for doing things through the legal system before, you know how to do it again for him. He'll take the help, as long as it's legal."  
  
"I know my son..."  
  
"You know him, yes," Courtney said. "But I know him better. I don't mean that in a negative way, because the two of you have an excellent relationship with each other, but I understand how he thinks better than you do, Sonny. We think alike, you know that. If I were in that situation I wouldn't want you or Jason to break me out by force. Please think about how he would take any action that you could decide on before you actually go and do it. For once, Sonny, think with your head rather than your instincts. Even if you manage to get him out by doing what you want, you won't have your son back, not really."  
  
As much as he resented the tone that his little sister was taking with him, Sonny knew that she was right. Damian's (at times) foolish sense of morality could be a very offsetting trait, and at times it was the only thing that kept him together. Sonny knew as much as Courtney did that if he broke the promise that he had made to Damian he wouldn't get his son back. Sonny didn't want that at all. More than anything he wanted to have Damian safe and happy. He owed Damian that much. It would be one of the few steps that he would take towards atoning for the abandonment. Sonny grabbed his coat, "I'm going to see him."  
  
Carly looked at Courtney. She had some harsh words for her best friend, but at the same time she knew that Courtney was only acting in Damian's best interests. A few days ago she would have resented that fact, but now she was against the way that Courtney spoke to Sonny. Some things were more important at that moment, though. "Courtney... could you stay here and make sure that the boys are safe?"  
  
"No problem," Courtney said. "Do me a favor, though, okay? Tell Damian that no matter what happens I believe that he'll be okay."  
  
Carly nodded, "I'll do that." She followed her husband out the door and saw him looking at something, yet looking at nothing at the same time. It was what he often did when he was thinking very hard about something. "She shouldn't have jumped down your throat like that, Sonny."  
  
"She's right," Sonny muttered.  
  
"I know she's right," Carly said. "But that doesn't mean that she had to take the steps that she did."  
  
"Courtney's always acted the way that she felt was best regardless of what I or anyone else ever thought. She gets it from her mother... she must." He didn't really know where the compassion came from. Courtney was really the only good thing to come out of their family. He and Mike did horrible things to their family or to other people, but Courtney... Courtney was something different entirely. She had some form of kindness that was always displayed. Sonny couldn't do it as easily or as often as she could. She was the best to come out of the Corinthos line that Sonny had seen... her and Damian. Maybe that was why they had connected like they did. Courtney was right about that as well, they did have a lot in common. They both were very accepting of what went on around them on the surface while resenting it in actuality. Sonny hated that it hurt them both as much as it did, but he couldn't change who he was, and neither could Jason. It was the life that they had picked for themselves and that was something that they couldn't get out of. "Where did I go wrong, Carly?"  
  
Carly looked at her husband without really understanding what he meant. "You haven't done anything wrong, Sonny."  
  
Sonny shook his head, "Look around you, everything that I've done is wrong on some level. I kill people without feeling anything for what I've done. I forced AJ into giving up the custody rights to Michael. I made sure that my stepfather was killed..."  
  
"Sonny, he beat you and your mother senseless for his own enjoyment!" Carly knew that this was coming from what happened with Courtney, and she didn't like it at all. Courtney was her best friend, she loved Courtney very much, but if the choice came between Courtney and Sonny she couldn't chose anyone but her husband, the man that she pledged her life to more than once. "You can't be responsible for the weight of the world, and you shouldn't even try to do it right now."  
  
"Everything I've done haunts me," Sonny said softly. "From the resentment that I still feel with my father to what happened with Damian's mother and everything that comes in between. Carly, I don't deserve to have any of this. I don't deserve to have you as my wife, I don't deserve to have Courtney as my sister, I don't deserve to have my sons in my life. I've been so lucky, and I always take advantage of it without really giving it much thought."  
  
"Stop it, Sonny," Carly was both pleading and ordering. "You're not going to do anyone any good if you can't keep it together. You want to help your son, don't you?"  
  
Sonny looked up at her, his eyes slowly beginning to well up with the tears of frustration and anxiety. "I want to be worthy of the people that love me."  
  
Carly put her hands on Sonny's cheeks, "You're worthy of every single person in your life, Sonny. The people that you care about survive because you're there to protect them. Michael wouldn't be the great son that he is to both of us if you hadn't have taught him the things that you never learned because you were too afraid of your stepfather to even try and ask if he wanted to play ball with you. If you hadn't have accepted Jason for what he was after the accident, Jason might not even be around Port Charles, he might not even be alive. Sonny, no matter how much doubt you feel in your heart, it's not true. You're not some horrid person that doesn't feel anything for the decisions that you've made in your life. I know that you are constantly kept awake by the demons, but that's because you feel something for what you did. On some level you feel regret. You're not some inhuman killing monster, you feel, you hurt, you love."  
  
"Carly..."  
  
"You're a passionate and decent man, Sonny," Carly reaffirmed her husband. "You deserve the love that I give you, that Lily gave you, that everyone who knows the type of person you are has ever given you. They can see past what you do and can see the reasons that you have. You weren't given a choice."  
  
"I was," Sonny said. "I told you I was going to get out of the life, Carly. After you woke up from that coma that I put you in..."  
  
"It was an accident!"  
  
"I still did it!" Sonny told her. "I still almost killed you and our son because of my desire to keep everything that I love safe. But I don't realize or don't want to accept just how much danger I am to everyone that I care for. No matter what, I can't keep you safe, but somehow being in the business keeps you all safer than being out of it. If I were still around when Damian got kidnapped by that crazy bitch..."  
  
"I'm not going to let you do this to yourself, Sonny," Carly grabbed his hand. "I'm not going to let you eat at yourself."  
  
"I can't help it."  
  
"Think about Damian," She told him. "What good is it going to do if you're an emotional mess. He doesn't need to know about the breakdowns."  
  
"I never thought about telling him," Sonny said. "I don't want him to see just how weak I really am. I have to keep my vulnerability a secret from everyone, even my own son."  
  
"It's for everyone's good," Carly told him. "We need you to be as strong as you can be."  
  
"I don't know if I can do this, Carly," Sonny admitted. "I don't know if I can see my son and realize just how powerless it makes me appear. Not because someone might take it as weakness, but because I don't want to live with the realization that comes with knowing that I can't do a thing about it." 


	114. Discomforting Vibes

Kayla- Your sympathy for Sonny would, I certainly hope, be very much felt through the other readers as well. I feel bad for Sonny, but that won't stop me from putting his life through hell. I'm just evil like that.  
  
Joy- Remember that in the eyes of the (all too crooked) law of Port Charles, Damian is a convict and a prisoner. We may know what's going on, but they don't. I'm sorry that it was so painful for you. Ric's decision to not be Damian's attorney was a very wise one indeed. Sonny wouldn't tolerate it, which would only bring problems. Ric realized that, and since he's coming to the realization that he actually does give a damn about his nephew for more reasons than just because the woman that he loves happens to be Damian's good friend, he couldn't go through with it. Damian was desperate, though, and in his world family always stands by you, which explains his rationale, however flawed it may have been.  
  
You're absolutely right about the final line, which is why I included it. It is very poignant to the entire story, not just the current 'Damian in jail' arc, but the one thing that's been apparent since chapter 24. Sonny and Damian are two different sides of the coin in just about every way. In Damian, Sonny sees what he could have been had life been different, and in Sonny, Damian sees what he could be if he went down the path that his father took. In short, Damian could be Sonny's son in more than just blood, he could be it in morality as well. Even though Sonny doesn't want that and he wants his boys to all be these morally upstanding individuals, he realizes that with those morals comes problems such as getting out of jail. They have to work out a compromise, or else Damian's going to jail and I don't think anyone, be it the people in PC, the readers, or myself as the writer, wants to see him go and end up being cell mates with some random Texan wife beater known only as 'Bubba.'  
  
I was going for that feeling. Even with Damian's 'everything will turn out fine in the end' mentality, there's only so much that he can actually have. I've pretty much got plans for how it works out, though. So you'll just have to wait and see, on bated breath.  
  
Story-  
  
Port Charles Police Department-  
  
Mac was putting it off as much as he could, making that phone call to Maxie. The news hadn't leaked out, as far as he knew, to the press so there would have been no other way for her to find out other than himself or someone else that knew what had happened calling her. Since the only other person that would even make a phone call to Maxie for any reason was Lucky and since he was already told not to call her about Damian, Mac knew that she was in the dark. How long she would stay in the dark was anyone's guess, though. Scott would work as fast as he could to bring attention to arresting the 'culprit' that had been responsible for the massacre. Odds were high that Damien's face would be plastered all over the news tomorrow. Maxie would find out sometime. It should have been from her father... but it was so hard.  
  
The phone looked at him like it was the most evil thing on the planet. In some ways it was. He knew she would take it hard. He knew it would set her off. He knew it could break her. He knew Damian was innocent. But there was one thing that Mac knew very well: In this line of work, sometimes the innocent people didn't exactly get off. He was going to do what he could to keep Damian from taking the walk, but in the end it wasn't his choice. Scott would do everything in his power to keep Damian in trouble for the deaths, and Mac might not be able to stop it. He was the Commissioner, but that wasn't exactly enough firepower to go up against the District Attorney. Even with Ric in his corner, however unreliable by the minute that was, and Lucky as well... the odds were stacked up against them all.  
  
Ric came up after the time he spent in the room with Damian. While it was supposed to be an interrogation room, it wasn't used for that reason in that instance. Ric wanted to let Damian know that he had Ric's support, and now that he knew that his nephew was well aware of that fact Ric could rest somewhat easily. But he knew that he'd still have a bit of unease when he thought about Damian sleeping in one of the prison beds and surrounded by people who weren't above taking advantage of someone like him. It would be even worse for Damian if he did get convicted. He could end up spending time with a cellmate named Bubba, all prisons had one of them. Ric was not a religious man, but he still prayed that nothing bad would come of the entire situation. Much like Mac, however, he wasn't blind and he knew that there were ways to skate by the law and still be entirely legal. Alexis Davis had done it with her faked alternate personality disorder for murdering Luis Alcazar. Alexis, however, had every reason to kill that man. While it was a very unmoral thing to do, given the alternative, it was her only option. She would make a good attorney, but she would never agree to take the case. There was something between her and Sonny. They shared an affair while Carly and Sonny were going through one of their periodic scuffles and it was obvious that they cared for one another. Even then, getting the two of them into the room at the same time caused some tension. Some of it was hateful, some of it was not.  
  
"Well?" Mac asked, thankful for the momentary distraction that Ric provided him as he walked out of the room.  
  
"Well what?" Ric questioned.  
  
"Did you find out anything from the time that you spent with him?"  
  
Ric shook his head, "I'm only further assured of his innocence in this entire matter."  
  
"We all know he's innocent, Ric," Mac said. "It's the reason why we're working together and trying to make sure that he doesn't slip through the cracks. I've seen it happen too many times, I won't let it happen again, not to him."  
  
"You must love your daughter very much to look past Damian's heritage. I don't know if I could be as lenient if I were a parent."  
  
"I can't spend my entire life being judgmental of the people that my daughter dates, Ric. I was judgmental of Kyle because I could see that he wasn't good for her, and maybe he soured me to the fact that she could find someone that would be right for her, that would care. Whatever the reason was, I was wrong and I don't intend on making that same mistake again. That's the reason why I've stopped being so critical of Damian now, because I've told myself that I have to look past everything that I want to believe that he's capable of and actually see him for who he is. It wasn't easy, though, I can assure you of that. I didn't find it at all simple to look past the fact that he is a Corinthos, even if he doesn't have the name. He's also your nephew, which wasn't comforting in the least."  
  
Ric brushed the last comment off. He knew that he had done some horrible things in the past. He had almost taken Morgan from Carly, only now was he beginning to see just how wrong that was. If he had gotten away with it... if he had stolen Morgan he would have had a son for him and Elizabeth to nurture. But would he have gone through with it? Could he look at his 'son' and know that it wasn't his? At the time Ric was certain that he could, but now Ric was certain that he couldn't. He wanted to see Sonny suffer in some ways for their past, for the rejection, but he wanted Sonny to suffer directly now. He didn't want to use people and watch them go through hell just so he could have his revenge. A lot of things had helped him reach that conclusion. Most of all was the fact that Elizabeth could still find it in her heart to care for him even after all the horrible things that he had done. However, Ric would be lying to himself if he denied that Damian's acceptance of him as a member of his family, even when Damian was obviously getting hell about it from every corner, wasn't another factor. If Damian could look past all the horrible things that Ric had done to his family, what was to say that Sonny couldn't do the same? Ric wouldn't expect anything like that, but it didn't stop him from wanting it. The part of his soul that wanted that outcome was much stronger than the part that wanted Sonny to suffer now. "I don't know why my brother hasn't come yet."  
  
"Maybe he's busy gunning down another swarm of mobsters," Mac dryly commented.  
  
"Sonny would put everything on hold to come to the aid of one of his children, Mac," Ric pointed out. "He's a lot of things, not many of them are good, but the one thing that he has been since the moment Michael came into his life is a good father. He'd fend off the world to protect his kids."  
  
"I know the feeling," Mac mused. While they were on opposite sides of the law in almost every meaning of the word, they shared the common bond of being loving fathers. They also shared that bond in another way, because at least one of their children was not their child by blood. They both knew that the love came unconditionally. Sonny with Michael, Mac with Maxie and Georgie. It wouldn't make them swap stories, but they had a common ground in that respect.  
  
"You know, I never thought in a million years that I would actually feel pain when it came to seeing that..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"A member of my family, a member of my family through my brother inside the cell," Ric turned his head over his shoulder, even though Damian wasn't in there any longer. "But now that it's happened, all I want is for him to get out."  
  
Mac wasn't entirely sure that he bought Ric's sudden crisis of conscience, but it seemed true for the most part. Much like Lucky, Mac had a hard time deducing just how much of Ric was real and how much was fake. "I want that, too."  
  
The two adults had never been particularly fond of one another, but in that moment they did share a kinship. It was fleeting, but it was there.  
  
"Why am I not surprised to see you here?"  
  
Ric knew the voice without turning, but he wanted to look Sonny in the face. "I was wondering when you were going to get here, big brother."  
  
"Don't 'big brother' me, Lansing!" Sonny had been in the police station for less than a minute and he was already shouting and making demands that he thought should have been immediately complied to. "What did you do?"  
  
Ric sighed, "I had nothing to do with Damian's arrest, Sonny. I'm just as convinced of his innocence as you are."  
  
"You're not fooling me for a second, Ric. You saw me at the park today and you wanted to try and get on my good side again, but I didn't buy your crap for a second and now you're getting back at me through your own nephew!"  
  
"I went to you earlier because I had an offer that would help us all!" Ric didn't like the accusations that were being made against him. He knew that Sonny wouldn't understand what he was going through and would ultimately place some blame on Ric for something, but this time it did hurt him. Damian had changed them all in such a short time. "You didn't take it, that's correct, but I didn't use it as ammunition to fuel some revenge scheme! Tell me something, Sonny, what do I have to gain from seeing him in prison?"  
  
"You'll have gotten back at me for whatever reason you think I need to suffer for in that sick head of yours."  
  
"My problems stem from something that is entirely concerned with you and you alone," Ric pointed out. "I won't act through an innocent kid."  
  
"Which doesn't explain why you kidnapped me and tried to take my kid from us," Carly countered. She, too, wasn't going to sit through Ric's all too pathetic attempt at being a good guy when she knew that he was nothing more than a maniac.  
  
"You don't think I regret that?"  
  
Carly shook her head, "I don't."  
  
"Neither do I," Sonny agreed.  
  
"I knew this would happen," Ric's premonition was entirely on the money. "I knew that the minute we were together we would lose track of the goal to keep your son out of jail and just spend the entire time trying to pick apart at one another. That's why I didn't take him up as my client."  
  
"I would never allow you to be my son's lawyer!"  
  
"Well apparently your son doesn't give a damn about what you think, because he asked me if I wanted to represent him." Ric grinned. For once he had a chance to one-up Sonny at something. The grin faded when he thought about his nephew being wrongfully accused.  
  
"I want to see him... now!"  
  
"I wouldn't doubt that you didn't want to see him." Ric looked over at one of the officers, "Get Zuniga and put him back in the room."  
  
"I swear to you that if there is anything wrong with my son, if any of you have mistreated him in any way, I will see to it that this department is left penniless."  
  
"Nothing happened to Damian because of us, Sonny," Ric almost muttered. He didn't have the energy to deal with his older brother, there was a good chance that he would never be able to.  
  
"Let me be the judge of that," Sonny stated as he started to walk towards the room.  
  
"Sonny... before you go, you need to realize something," Ric and Sonny met eye to eye. "He's really scared right now. He needs something from you that you might not be able to provide. He needs you to be as objective as possible and not try to fix things in the way that only you can fix them. In short, he needs you to be his father, he doesn't need you to be Sonny Corinthos."  
  
"I know what my son needs, Ric," Sonny quickly turned away, not wanting to show Ric just how much he was thinking about what Ric told him. He opened the door and walked in. As he walked in, so did Damian. Father and Son gazed at one another, neither entirely sure of what they should do. 


	115. What is Lost

Journeylove- Thank you for the kind words and praise. I like to think that through all the angst I put the characters through, I can still keep it somewhat amusing at times.  
  
Story-  
  
Carly approached Ric, the pain still apparent on her face. She would never forget or forgive him for the time that he stole from her and her family. Those months that she was kept in the panic room, the months that Morgan was without the familiar voices of his family, all because of one man, one man who was a member of that same family regardless of how much they all tried to believe otherwise. She grabbed Ric's shoulder and dug her nails into his shirt. She wanted his attention, if she managed to get it through pain then that was just a bonus. "Where the hell do you get off saying that stuff to Sonny?" It seemed like both of his siblings were on the rampage to tell Sonny just how horrible he was as a father. Carly knew differently, and she wouldn't let anyone make Sonny think otherwise. Not Courtney, and certainly not Ric.  
  
"I was only telling him the truth," Ric commented. "Now I suggest that you take your hand off of me, it's very bad form to assault someone when you're in the police station."  
  
Carly sneered, "I won't let you try and get in his head, Ric."  
  
"I didn't have to try, Carly," Ric countered. "Everything that I said to Sonny was what he needed to hear. Damian needs the support that we can give him."  
  
"Sonny can give him all the support he needs. Damian doesn't need you."  
  
"What about you?"  
  
Carly shook her head, "I don't have anything to do with this, and don't even attempt to make it look like I do."  
  
"You never made it anything but obvious that you didn't care for Sonny's illegitimate son, Carly," Ric subtly began to interrogate her. "Sonny thinks that I have something to gain from seeing Damian inside a prison cell, but why hasn't he even bothered to look at you? I may have done a lot of things, but I never made him a target. You, on the other hand, have."  
  
"You're the one that claimed that you wanted to help Damian."  
  
"I do," Ric confirmed it to Carly. "And if I can see that someone else was involved with the situation, I can get Damian off." Ric knew that Carly had nothing to do with the dock scene directly, she wasn't that sinister, at least not in public. But he also kenw that there was no love loss between her and his nephew. If anyone in Port Charles had a substantial gain from Damian being in prison, it was her. He would be out of their lives and she could return to the normalcy that kept her so happy in the past. "If you love Sonny like you claim you do, you would see that having his son in here is only putting him through emotional hell and you would do something to help."  
  
"I'm here, aren't I?" Carly asked sarcastically. "Besides, Damian and I are getting along much better now."  
  
"Maybe you were just trying to put up a face right before the things that you had planned went down to make yourself look like less of a suspect." Ric thought about it, he would have done the same thing.  
  
"You can't pin this on me, Ric, no matter how hard you try."  
  
"I'm not even trying to incriminate you. I'm just trying to help my nephew."  
  
Lucky came up, having seen Ric belittle his cousin with very little reason. Lucky and Carly weren't the closest cousins on the planet, but Spencer's always presented a united front when one of them was under attack. Much as she would try to deny it at times, Carly was a Spencer. "Maybe you should start looking somewhere else, Ric," Lucky stood next to Carly. "She says that she didn't have anything to do with what happened and we've got nothing that states otherwise."  
  
"I can fight my own battles, Lucky," Carly stated firmly.  
  
"I know you can, Carly, but that doesn't mean that you have to."  
  
Carly curbed her attitude and instead gave her cousin a warm smile, "Thanks."  
  
Ric rolled his eyes, "Just as dysfunctional as ever."  
  
"You should be one to talk," Carly shot back.  
  
"You know, Carly, I'm not even the one that you need to be worrying about right now. If Sonny even thinks for a minute that you had something to do with this he's going to throw you out and you'll never see your children again. Right now you're in his good graces, but we've all seen just how easily you can fall out of them." Without giving Carly ample time to mount a counter-insult, Ric walked away. His mind drifted to Elizabeth. She would find out about Damian in time, but he wanted her to find out through him.  
  
Carly couldn't believe that Ric would think that she had something to do with what had happened. But she shouldn't have been that surprised. Ric had done twisted things and fabricated stories to help his case before, he could do it in his sleep. She didn't like being under attack, though. "Even though we try and gloss over it, I can't help but wonder why that man is my brother-in-law."  
  
"I can't understand what Elizabeth sees in him," Lucky mused somewhat sadly. Elizabeth had moved on, but at part of him hadn't. "Whatever he's got up his sleeve, I'll do what I can to make sure that you don't end up in his line of fire. That is... if you want me to help you on this one."  
  
"Somehow I don't think that you're going to be giving me a choice."  
  
Lucky laughed, "You're right. I'm not. Bad enough that one innocent person is getting stuck with the charges, I won't let it happen to someone else."  
  
"We'll find a way to beat this, Lucky. I know that Sonny won't stand around and see that his son gets placed in jail for something that he didn't do."  
  
"Carly... don't let him do anything too stupid. Right now Damian's under a very heavy amount of scrutiny from the people who think that he might have had something to do with it. If Sonny does something crazy the only thing that is going to happen is that he is going to discredit his son in the eyes of the people who think that he might not have done something. Sonny needs to play this one by the book. No matter how hard that is, you need to remind him of it. You're one of the only people that Sonny listens to. He won't listen to me and he sure as hell won't listen to Ric."  
  
"I'll do what I can," Carly said. "The entire reason why I'm here is because I want to make sure that Sonny stays under control, but that isn't always easy. Sonny's entirely able to snap and not listen to anyone, not me, not Courtney, not even Jason. He doesn't want it to get that far, none of us do, but he can't stand around and feel like he's not doing anything, it only makes his fuse go down quicker."  
  
"I can't turn a blind eye to something that Sonny does if it breaks the law, Carly," Lucky warned her. "I could lose my badge. Please don't let it get to the part where I might have to put my job in front of your family."  
  
"I can't make any promises."  
  
Lucky sighed, "It's always that way with Sonny, isn't it? Nobody can control him."  
  
"Sonny doesn't like to be controlled. Did you enjoy it?"  
  
Lucky turned away, not wanting to be reminded of his time as Helena's puppet.  
  
Carly saw his silence and realized that she had gone too far, "I'm sorry, Lucky, that wasn't fair of me."  
  
"Have you called Aunt Bobbie?" Lucky asked.  
  
"My mother?" Carly thought about it, "Is everything okay with her? She's not hurt or anything, right?"  
  
"She doesn't know about Damian then?" Lucky asked.  
  
"Why would she know about what happened with Damian, it doesn't concern her."  
  
"Carly, she thinks of him as one of her own grandchildren. They made a connection even when you were out to make sure that he got the hell out of Port Charles and never came back. She deserves to know what's going on."  
  
Carly sighed, "She's probably working right now."  
  
"She's gotten worse calls at work and managed," Lucky commented. It was a sad but true fact. "She'll be hurt either way, but if you're not the one that does it she'll feel even worse."  
  
"I can't deal with everything at once, Lucky!" Carly leaned against a desk. "I don't want to have my own mother looking at me like I had something to do with this. I didn't! I realize how wrong I was about Damian when he first came and I'm trying to mend the damage that we did to one another for weeks."  
  
"She'll believe you. I do." Lucky turned around, "Just think about it, Carly. I'll understand if you don't want to make the call, but give it a moment in your head."  
  
Interrogation room-  
  
Neither had moved in the moments that they had been looking at one another. Being together at last didn't make the situation any easier for either of them. Damian was happy to see his father, Sonny as happy to see his son, but there was that wall about what was going to be done next that neither was willing to scale.  
  
"They... they're not treating you too bad, are they?" Sonny asked.  
  
Damian shook his head, "I've only been in here for a few hours, dad. They haven't taken a nightstick to me or anything. That's a good thing, right?"  
  
"I want you to know that I'm going to do whatever it takes to get you out of here," Sonny's voice showed that confidence that he often oozed. The feeling that he could do anything because of his name and power alone. It was false confidence at best. "I'm not going to let my boy go to prison for this."  
  
"I'm innocent, they'll see that."  
  
Sonny shook his head, "You need to stop thinking about this so optimistically. Sometimes people are blinded by your past and they can't see who you truly are."  
  
"Did they do that with you, dad?" Damian asked. "You've been in court plenty of times, but you always managed to get away."  
  
"The things that I did in order to get off weren't the methods that I want to take with you."  
  
"So you admit that you're going to play this by my rules?" Damian was relieved that he had one that battle without even trying.  
  
"I don't want to lose you, son," Sonny remarked sadly. "If I try to force you freedom, I will shatter everything that we've worked so hard for."  
  
"Thank you for respecting my morals," Damian could see that his father was having difficulties with the limitations that had been placed. Damian couldn't help it, though. He wasn't going to toss his morals out for anything, not even his own freedom. Since it was a touchy subject at best, Damian changed it. "How are Michael and Morgan?"  
  
"Courtney's still watching them. She wanted me to tell you that she believes in you."  
  
Damian smiled, "It helps me adjust to my new surroundings. I look around me and I see bleak lifelessness. It reminds me of how I was in high school, actually. How I was before I came here..."  
  
"Ric... says that you asked him to be your attorney."  
  
"I did."  
  
Sonny shook his head, "I can't let that happen, Damian. I can't let him destroy you like he will."  
  
"Dad... Uncle Ric isn't going to do anything to me, I know it."  
  
"He's lied to so many people before. Even people that aren't as trusting as you." Sonny had been fooled by him, once. Never again. "Let me get my own lawyers on this. They're paid enough, they'll find a way to get you free."  
  
"I have to stay in here for awhile, don't I?"  
  
Sonny nodded, "I don't think we can do anything in the situation that we're in right now. Baldwin worked pretty hard on this one, he's making it as iron clad as he possibly can."  
  
"What are you going to tell Michael?"  
  
"I... haven't thought about it."  
  
"Maybe I should do it."  
  
"Do you want to tell your little brother that you're in jail?"  
  
"No," Damian admitted. "But I don't want him to find out by seeing it on the news or something else. It has to come from us, from his family."  
  
"I'll do it when he gets up tomorrow. It should be me."  
  
"Dad... I'll be fine. I can take care of myself."  
  
"Maybe against the people that you dealt with in Los Angeles, but these people are my enemies. This is my fight, and they're throwing you into it."  
  
"Story of my life," Damian remarked. "I'm always involved in something that I had nothing to do with." The uncomfortable silence lingered in the air once more. It was like everything between them had changed. Everything that they worked for so much was gone. Both wanted it back. 


	116. Vacant Space

Corinthos Household, Sunday Morning-  
  
Sonny hadn't slept a wink since they returned home from the police station. He had tried several times to rest his head and make an attempt to block out everything that was going on, but he couldn't do it. Every time he closed his eyes he saw his son's eyes looking at him. Damian never said anything, but Sonny could read those eyes, his mother's eyes. He'd seen that look, somewhat, before, the only time he ever managed to get a good look at Ana-Maria, before he was forced upon her. She had that look in her eyes when she realized what her father was into, what he had kept from her. It was the look of hopelessness. Damian was trying to show himself to be someone that hadn't yet given up, but his eyes showed Sonny differently. Sonny couldn't, wouldn't, let that look continue. He would find a way to help his son, he couldn't just let Damian linger in that cell. If anyone deserved to find themselves behind bars, it was Sonny. But he couldn't turn himself in. It was more than the claustrophobia that he had acquired after being stuffed in the closet as a boy. Sonny could live with himself and his phobia if he knew that he had done something to help his son. If it were only that simple. Damian was an adult, he could get along without Sonny being a part of his life, although they would both feel the pain from it. The problem was with Carly, Michael, and Morgan. Sonny could not leave them. Morgan wouldn't remember him. Sonny would be just a name and a face in a picture to his infant son. Sonny wouldn't let that happen. He wouldn't step out of their lives like that. He'd done it, however unwillingly, with his oldest son, and that had caused a rift between the two that had only begun the long process of healing.  
  
Sonny had so much that he wanted to tell Damian the night before, while they were alone in that room. He didn't even let Damian know how much he cared. He'd never told his son that he loved him. Even though they were older, that didn't change the fact that it was there. It was a long process, but Sonny had quickly grown fond of his boy. It was like seeing the opposite side of his own coin. Damian wasn't ruthless, he was kindhearted, but he was also very quick-witted. A lot of his traits came from his mother, Sonny could see Ana in Damian every time, but he could also see himself. It gave him a different feeling from that which he had for Michael. Sonny was proud of Michael, but he would never deny that Michael was not his blood. Michael was as much of his son as Damian, but the lack of blood relation was something that could have never been changed. Everything that Sonny looked forward to seeing in Morgan when Morgan was old enough he was now seeing in Damian. The drive to do something to make an impact, Damian got it from him, even if he didn't know it at the time. So much could have been different if Sonny would have went another path, if Sonny wouldn't have made the mistake of falling into the life that he had taken. It was too late to complain about it, but that didn't stop him from wondering. He would always wonder.  
  
Sonny walked down the stairs into the living room. Without even thinking about it he poked through the door to Damian's room and saw the bed, empty. Sonny had done that a few times after Damian had left the first time. Even then, after barely living there for a scant few weeks, he had made an impact on Sonny's life that could never be taken away. Sonny walked in and looked around. He saw the books that were stacked neatly on the desk. Sonny smiled. It was about time that his money had been used for something that could benefit honest people. Sonny's money had brought so much pain and suffering to those around him, even his family at times. Because of his life he had to take so many precautions. He had to make sure that the house was bulletproof. He had to have guards around at all times. Everything was to make sure that his kids were safe, that his wife was safe. But, while there was no doubt in his mind that they were safe while they were inside his home, there was doubt as to how much living they were actually allowed to do. Michael didn't really have very many friends. He never saw much of other children his age outside of school, karate, and hockey. He tried to make it seem like it didn't bother him at all, and maybe it didn't at that time, but Michael was growing up fast. There would be a time when he would rebel, when he would want to go out and do things his own way. That would put Michael in more danger, make him an even bigger target for violence if he was running around Port Charles unprotected. Sonny's enemies would love the chance to take Michael and use him against Sonny. Sonny dreaded the possibility of boarding school, but it might have been the only way to keep Michael safe. It could wait, for now, but it couldn't wait forever. One day, Sonny would have to explain to Michael, and even later to Morgan, what his life really was like. Damian was right, they needed to know. Sonny couldn't keep them in the dark forever. It wasn't right to them. If they loved him like he loved them, Michael and Morgan would still care, even when they found out that their father wasn't the best person that he could have been, like Michael assumed at that time.  
  
One son who knew Sonny's truth, two that were still clouded by the lie for their own safety. Sonny always had to walk the fine line on the thinnest ice. It was the story of his life. One wrong move on his part and it could all be over. Not even necessarily for him, it could end the life of someone else if he wasn't always at the top of his game. He wasn't at the top of his game when Faith almost killed Damian, much like he wasn't on the top of his game when Asp came back, and when Damian got arrested. All of those things happened because Sonny was fooling himself into thinking that he was truly back to the way that he had been. He should have listened to Jason instead of letting his ego get in the way. Jason... Jason took a bullet that was meant for him. Yet another negative side effect of his folly. Jason had taken a bullet for him, Carly had gotten a bullet in her head because of him, he'd been gunned down and nearly died more than once because of who he was. So much violence. So much death. Was it really worth it all?  
  
"Daddy?"  
  
Sonny snapped out of his thoughts, the emotions of his mind almost bringing him to tears. He tried to hide them as he saw Michael standing in the doorway. "What are you doing up so early on a Sunday?"  
  
Michael gave a slight shrug of his shoulders, "I just couldn't get back to bed."  
  
"Did you have a bad dream or something?" Sonny wondered. He knew what it was like to be plagued by nightmares, even as an adult, they still haunted him.  
  
"Why are you in Damian's room? Is he sick?"  
  
Sonny had two options that he could take, given the conversation. He could make up some story about Damian leaving early, or he could tell Michael the truth and explain that his brother was in jail. "He's not at home right now, buddy."  
  
"Did he go out with Maxie?" Michael asked as he sat next to his father. "I know how much he likes her, and she likes him, too. It's like you and mommy or Uncle Jason and Aunt Courtney. Do you think they'll get married?"  
  
Sonny smiled, thankful that his son could grant him a momentary reprieve from everything that was going on in his life. He could picture them getting married. They could make him a grandfather. He'd like that. The thought was tainted by the severity of the situation, though. Damian couldn't do anything if he never got out. Sonny's doubt clouded over him once more, and he tried his best to break the doubt from his mind. "I can't answer that question, Mike. I know that whatever happens, I want Damian to find someone that he loves so that he can be happy with her, like me and your mother. I want you and Morgan to find someone like that as well."  
  
"I'll never fall in love," Michael protested. "Girl's are icky!"  
  
"You don't think that your mommy or Courtney are pretty?"  
  
"Well, yeah, but they're not girls!"  
  
"What are they?"  
  
Michael stopped himself. He wasn't entirely sure. He finally found an answer, "They're mommy and Aunt Courtney!"  
  
Sonny laughed briefly. That childlike innocence was something that Sonny wanted Michael to keep forever. But he knew that it would eventually have to become a thing of the past. He couldn't keep it jarred up forever. He couldn't keep lying to Michael. He promised Damian that he'd tell Michael the truth. Sonny had to keep that promise.  
  
"Daddy? Are you okay?"  
  
Sonny shook his head, "No, Mike, I'm not."  
  
Michael disliked it when his daddy showed that he was hurt. It was usually something bad. He was like that a lot when Carly was in the hospital. Michael didn't see much of Sonny during that time, he was gone and Sonny was almost always in the hospital standing vigil next to Carly. The few times that Michael did see Sonny, though, even the times that he had just talked to him on the phone, he could sense that something wasn't right with Sonny. It wasn't the daddy that he usually saw. Michael could see that as he looked at his father during those moments that they sat on the couch. "What's wrong?"  
  
"You need to be strong, because I'm not going to tell you something you're going to be nice. Can you do that for me?"  
  
"I think so," Michael replied, fear heavy in his voice.  
  
"Damian was taken away last night. He's in jail right now." Sonny spoke softly and watched his son. He wanted to see exactly how Michael reacted.  
  
Michael, not very surprisingly, started to cry. It wasn't that he wasn't strong, but he was scared now. He knew what jail was, he knew that it was the place that bad people went. He also knew that Damian wasn't one of those bad people. He should have never went to jail. "W... why?"  
  
Sonny picked Michael up and put him on his lap, "Because people are trying to hurt us by making him look like he's a bad person, Michael. Some people are trying to see that he gets thrown into prison for something that he didn't do. We have to be strong for him, because if we're strong and we stand up and say that he didn't do anything, then he'll be strong too."  
  
"The bad man did this, didn't he?" Michael immediately thought of Ric. "He tried to hurt you by kidnapping mommy and trying to steal Morgan, but now he's trying to hurt you through Damian. I hate him!"  
  
"It's not him, Mike," Sonny said softly. As much as he thought it could have been Ric, a bigger part of him was almost certain that it wasn't. Sonny went with that instinct, since it was stronger. He still didn't trust his brother, he just didn't think that Ric had anything to do with it at all. "I don't know who is doing it yet, but I'm going to find out, and I'm going to stop them from hurting any of us."  
  
"That's what you said yesterday at the park!" Michael pushed away from Sonny. "But you couldn't keep that promise, because if you could, Damian would still be here and he wouldn't be in jail!"  
  
"Michael, there was nothing I could do!'  
  
"You can do anything!" Michael shouted back. "You always win, daddy! Nothing bad ever happens to you, and even when something that hurts you ends up happening, you always find a way to make everything okay! Why couldn't you do that for Damian?"  
  
"You have to understand something, I can't fix everything. I want to fix this, I do, but there is only so much I can do right now."  
  
"Do you want him to stay in there?"  
  
"What makes you think that?" Sonny wondered. Michael stayed quiet. "Michael, I asked you a question."  
  
"I... don't know. You just seem like you think he's better than you at everything, and you're always the best. Maybe you don't want someone around you who is better than you."  
  
"Damian's a better person than I could ever hope to be. He doesn't yell at people like I do, he doesn't lose his temper like I do. I love having him around, because he shows me that people can be good, no matter what happens around us, there can always be someone that can show us that there's always going to be someone who is good in the world."  
  
"He said we could do something today..." Michael admitted, recalling their conversation from the previous night. "I thought we could go and get something at Kelly's, or go to the park, or watch a movie. Am I ever going to see him again?" The tears ran down Michael's face and splattered on the carpet, faint, but Sonny was paying enough attention to see what was going on.  
  
"I won't let them keep him in there for a long time, Mike. I'm doing everything I can to get him back here."  
  
"How long will it take?"  
  
"I won't give you an answer, because I don't know it."  
  
"You always have the answers, daddy," Michael was in a state of disbelief. It had never been as bad as it was at that moment for him. "I'm scared."  
  
Sonny knelt down and hugged his son, "So am I..." 


	117. Fleeting Happiness

Joy- Yes, poor Sonny, has to crush itty Michael's safety net, but, dammit, boy had a right to know! And, like you said, he kept his promise. Sonny, if nothing else, loves his boys and sticks by his word. Two very big parts of his makeup.  
  
Story-  
  
Somewhere, yet nowhere-  
  
It was a beautiful day where she was. Everyone around her was happy, smiles on their faces, all for her. Even Felicia was there, and Frisco. Everyone that she knew and cared for was around her. Maxie couldn't imagine a happier day to get married.  
  
She stood next to him in her white gown. He didn't care that, based on the supposed customs of marriage, she shouldn't have been wearing a white gown. Even with her flaws, which she thought were many and he thought were few, Maxie was perfect in Damian's eyes.  
  
Mac had walked her down the aisle, as he should have. Frisco understood and gave no protest. Maxie was his daughter, but she was Mac's little girl, even if she was all grown up. They all mingled, which was odd given that Sonny and Mac were on opposite sides of the law more often than not. That wasn't important to any of them, though, not on that day. Everyone was happy.  
  
Georgie was crying in her maid of honor dress. It had to be Georgie, no one else could even come close to meaning as much to Maxie as Georgie did. They had a bond that could never be broken, even though they were, at times, just sisters. They'd always come back to that love, always.  
  
The light bounced off the painted glass window. Maxie looked up and noticed that there was a little too much red for her tastes, but she quickly brushed off that thought, nothing could ruin her day.  
  
The priest went through everything that he was supposed to say. Maxie didn't really pay very much attention. She was too lost in seeing Damian in front of her. It was the only time she'd ever seen him in a tuxedo, and he had said that if nothing else it would be the only time that he'd ever be wearing one. She knew that she could get him to wear one again if she really wanted it. He protested more than Michael, their ring boy, her future brother-in-law, much like Morgan, who was nestled safely in Carly's arms. She looked happy for them both as well, even with all the problems that she and Damian had been going through.  
  
She watched as Damian put the ring on Maxie's finger, the beginnings of tears in his eyes. He smiled at her, "With this ring, I thee wed."  
  
She returned the gesture, not even holding back her tears. Out of the corner of her eye she saw that Felicia and Georgie were also crying. "With this ring, I thee wed."  
  
The priest said his piece and presented them as a married couple. It was the happiest day of their life.  
  
Baldwin walked in, surrounded by cops. He looked at Damian, "You're under arrest!"  
  
Maxie's tears changed from joy to agony. How could her perfect day be ruined? "You can't do this! Dad!" She turned to Mac, looking for support. Instead, all she saw was her father, who had just a moment ago given her away, handcuffing the man that was now her husband. "No..." Her voice came out breathless.  
  
"I have to do my job, Maxie."  
  
"Let my son go!" Sonny demanded. When Mac didn't comply, Sonny and Jason pulled out their guns as well as the guards that were there. Mac dove out of the way and went for his own weapon. There was so much screaming and gunfire. Maxie was speechless and couldn't move. She didn't even see a bullet coming right for her until it was too late.  
  
She felt no bullet go into her body. She didn't feel her chest ravaged by the cold metal invention. She opened her eyes and saw the white undershirt being filled with red blood at an alarming rate. She looked up and saw Damian's face before he fell into her arms. "No!" Her cries echoed in the chapel. Everyone stopped the violence. Too little, too late. "Why?" She asked to no one in particular. "Why did everything have to go this way?"  
  
Damian grabbed her hand with what possible strength he had remaining. It wasn't much, but he hoped it would be enough. "I had a minute with you as my wife... it was enough."  
  
She looked down at him again, "Don't... please. Don't die on me!"  
  
"I love you..." His eyes never closed. She looked at them, they would haunt her for eternity.  
  
Everyone was leaving her. They were all leaving the chapel. "Why did this happen?"  
  
"You should have known that this would be the only outcome that could come of the relationship," Georgie said.  
  
Maxie couldn't believe it, "Not you... Georgie, not you. You supported us! You were one of the only people that didn't try and keep us apart."  
  
"And that was a mistake," Dillon remarked. "So many mistakes."  
  
"Don't worry, dear," Felicia's cold face reared over her shoulder. "You can find someone else to be there for you."  
  
"Maybe you can be the new widow," Sonny said bluntly. "You've already had two people that you loved die on you."  
  
"Maybe I'll be next," Lucky added before Jason shot him in the head.  
  
"Three now," Sonny recounted.  
  
Maxie's white dressed was stained by the blood of the man that she loved more than life itself. She looked around, there was so much glass that had been broken and shattered around. She picked up a shard and slit her own throat. The blood ran down her body. If she couldn't be happy, she didn't want to be alive.  
  
Scorpio Household-  
  
Maxie was jarred awake by her nightmare. Everything was so great in the beginning, only to be turned into something horrible in the end. She couldn't survive a relationship like that. But it wouldn't be like that, she had to believe that everything would be perfect. Damian wouldn't let himself get caught up in the life that his father led. But... he was in trouble because of something that happened, something that didn't have anything to do with the person that Damian really was. Maxie couldn't let Damian get in trouble for that, but she didn't know what she could do. She couldn't put her dad's job in jeopardy, that wouldn't be fair to him. The same could be said for Lucky, and those were the only two people that she knew she could trust out of all the people that were working on the force. She didn't have many options, but she had to think of something.  
  
She tried to move, but all she could see were his dead lifeless eyes burned into her mind. The dream... it would haunt her until she knew that he was safe. What if he wasn't? Was it an omen? No, she didn't believe in that stuff. Maxie forced herself up and out of bed. Mac was waiting for her as she opened the door. "Dad?"  
  
"I... didn't know if you were awake or not."  
  
Maxie looked at him, "I'm up."  
  
"Maxie, I have to tell you something, about Damian. He's... he's been arrested for the massacres at the docks."  
  
Maxie shook her head, "No, you can't let them do that to him! You know he's innocent! You told me that you knew he couldn't do anything like that! If you know that he's innocent then why are you trying to punish him!?"  
  
Mac knew she would react in such a manner, but he still couldn't truly prepare himself for how she could take the news. It made him hurt just to know that she was suffering from it so much. "I'm not doing any of it, Maxie. I wouldn't have done it, but I don't have a choice because they have a warrant and it was enough to arrest him."  
  
"Get him out!" Maxie demanded. "Tell them that they're wrong! You have to do something!"  
  
Mac shook his head, "I can't do anything, you know that. I told you that if worse came to worse there would be nothing that I could do. Believe me, I wish I could tell you differently, but that's the truth."  
  
"You're happy that he's in jail, aren't you?" Maxie was irate. "You just wanted to make it seem like you liked him, that you accepted that I loved him so that he would let his guard down and slip up and then you'd get something that you could use against him and his family! I hate you!"  
  
The situation was going a lot worse than Mac had thought. He never expected her to say that she hated him. It almost caused Mac to have an emotional breakdown. He loved his daughter so much, to have her say that she hated him... it was more than he could take. "Maxie, I wish that you could see this rationally, but I know that asking that of you right now is too much. I promised him that I would tell you what he wanted me to tell you, though, and I intend on keeping that promise. He said that he loves you and that you shouldn't worry about him, that he'll be fine."  
  
"You spoke to him?" Maxie's body began to shake with rage.  
  
"I had to make sure that he knew that we weren't all out to get him, that there were a few of who knew that he was innocent. Even if it was me who ended up saying it, Maxie, I still believe it." Mac sighed, "You can say that you hate me all you want, I don't know what's going on in your head right now but I know that you can't be very happy about what's been going on. I accept that you're enraged, which is the only reason why I can brush off those words."  
  
Maxie broke down again, "I didn't mean it, dad. I just thought... you were so mean to him at first... I'm so afraid."  
  
"He's fine, trust me. I might not be able to get him out, but I can make damned sure that he doesn't get treated wrong while he's in my jail."  
  
"You'd do that for me?"  
  
"It's my job to protect the innocent people of this city from being mistreated. Damian's innocent as they come, more than any of us."  
  
"You're not a bad person, dad," Maxie said. "Sometimes you have to do things that might be considered bad, but you don't have a choice."  
  
"Are you really okay now?" Mac wondered. "I know how much you've been through in such a short time with your mother and now this. If you need me to stay at home and just be here with you... I can. I can have Lucky make sure that nothing bad happens to him."  
  
"Lucky's helping you?" Maxie thought back to how mean she was to Lucky just the other day. She would have to apologize and thank him for being so nice and considerate towards Damian.  
  
"He knows what it's like to have someone that you care about slip through the cracks of the justice system," Mac stated. "He wouldn't want that to happen to someone that you cared about, because you're like a little sister to him."  
  
"You say that everything is going to be all right, in the end, but how certain are you?"  
  
Mac couldn't give her a real answer. He wouldn't even make an attempt to lie. "I'm not certain at all. But I won't stop fighting for him."  
  
Maxie sat on the edge of her bed and threw her faced into her cupped hands. She might not even have a chance of letting her nightmare come true. 


	118. News Overheard

Kayla- Just be happy that it was only a dream. Maxie's nightmares aren't comfortable, but they are a direct window to how she feels about everything that has happened. She SHOULD be okay, though.  
  
Joy- I'm not twisted! I just write for soap operas! Well, not officially or anything, but you know damned well that marriages in the soap world end with such tragedies. Shall we run down the list of GH weddings that were marred by tragedy at the scene? No, that list would be far too long, don't you think? Yes, Mac is a good papa and he kept his promise. Hooray for Mac! Yeah, well, nobody's relationship ever has a normal 24 hours. But, there was that downtime that I had with them, about a week or so, nothing happened then... since it wasn't written. That count? No, there will be no wedding between Damian and Maxie. Sorry, but I've no intentions of getting them hitched during this story, within the reality of the story, mind you. I know, I'm sick and twisted and just can't keep everyone happy. Ah well.  
  
Story-  
  
Kelly's-  
  
Dillon had found his tolerance level of the latest Quatermaine family related squabble to be more than passed the line. He didn't even know what was going on, but he still didn't like it. It was always the same. Edward, Alan, Monica, Ned, his mother, all squabbling over something extremely petty. They had enough money to buy anything and everything they wanted, but they were always so involved in making sure that no one else in the family ever had a reason to be grateful for the money that they did have. At times, Dillon could be just as bad as they were, even though he hated admitting that it was true. He wanted to be better. Not necessarily better than them in a way that he looked down upon them. They were his family and as much as it drove him mad, he cared about them. He cared for them, but he didn't want to be like them. It was the same thing that Damian felt with Sonny as his father. Dillon thought about his friend, quite possibly his best friend, and the troubles that he was going through. Even when he was in trouble, like he was at that time, Damian still found a way to make sure that he was there for everyone else that needed it. If Dillon had a problem, he could depend on Damian. Possibly even more than he could depend on Georgie in some cases. After all, there were some things that only guys could talk about. Georgie could very well be the smartest person on the face of planet, but that didn't mean that he enjoyed talking to her about every single thing that went on in his life.  
  
When he needed time to himself he knew that he could retreat to Kelly's. His family knew that was where he would go, but they would, in no way, force themselves into chasing him to such a banal place. Dillon liked it, and he liked it even more because of the fact that his family hated it. It was the only place that he could find a moments solace at times. Even though, sometimes, even Kelly's wasn't the best place to hide out because there would be a piece of drama from another aspect of his life that would eventually be dragged into the diner. As he sat there, enjoying his latte, he wished that something of that nature wouldn't happen. He should have known better.  
  
Much like Mac before him, Ric had waited until the last possible instance to tell Elizabeth about the events that had transpired the night before. By the time that he had managed to gain the courage needed to make the call it was already far too late and she would have surely been asleep. He didn't want to wake her up. He knew how much she valued her rest. Instead, he opted for a safer route and decided that he would tell her face to face, which seemed much better given the subject matter. He would have much rather been told of what had happened to Damian in person rather than getting a phone call about it or seeing it on the news. So far, with a whole lot of work on the part of both he and Mac, nothing had been leaked to the press. It wasn't easy, as Scott's appetite for publicity was something that was basically impossible to sate. They managed, somehow. Compared to telling Elizabeth that someone that she had managed to form a fast bond with had been arrested after he had stated that he'd do everything in his power to stop from happening after the first time... curbing the media frenzy was easy. Ric felt powerless, and that was something that he didn't enjoy feeling at all. It was better coming from him, though. He knew it. She would believe him. She would believe that he really did try to stop Damian from being arrested. Wouldn't she? Or would she resent him for failing and not being able to keep his promise to her?  
  
Ric stopped himself before he got to the window of Kelly's. He was sure that Elizabeth was working there, he knew her schedule very well. But he wasn't sure he really wanted to see her. He didn't want to face his failure as a person, as an uncle. He couldn't live with the resentment that Elizabeth would give her if she felt crushed. He couldn't live without her again. He worked so hard to get her back in his life. He knew that being cast out from her life again would kill him. They weren't married anymore, but that didn't matter, she was still the only person in his life. Because of his love for her he felt that she must have loved him as well. Because of his love for her he continued walking up the path and opened the door to the restaurant, a small tinge of fear washing over his body and amplifying itself by the second.  
  
Elizabeth loved her job. At times it may have seemed like she was overworked, and in part it was true, but she also enjoyed the time that she got to spend with people because of her job. She knew a lot of people better than she would have if she had just spent her time painting. Although her artwork was still very important to her, she also knew that she enjoyed having friends. If she hadn't have been working at the restaurant, she would have never met Damian. If she had never met Damian she might not have realized just how much she still cared for Ric, and how much he cared for her. He loved her enough to put his grudge with Sonny behind him, and that was the one thing that she always wanted. She wanted him to be happy with his life because she was in it, not miserable because of his past.  
  
It was almost like a sign when she looked up from serving some couple their coffee with her soft, tender smile and saw Ric standing at the doorway. Elizabeth's face beamed slightly and she walked over behind the counter to put the pot on the heater before she wiped her hands and walked over to see Ric. "I didn't know you'd be here."  
  
"I'd never deny myself a look at your beauty, Elizabeth," Ric's voice tried to mask his fear, but he wasn't doing a very good job. Elizabeth could read him better than most other people could.  
  
"Something's wrong, isn't there?" She asked. Ric was silent. She knew that when he was silent it usually meant that she was right. "Ric..."  
  
Dillon was a mere few feet away from them. He liked Elizabeth. She was nice and funny and very pretty. The same could not be said of Ric. He was not nice, he was not funny, and he was certainly not pretty. But, Dillon respected the fact that Elizabeth had every right to fall in love with whomever she pleased. She should have stayed with Lucky, but that was just his opinion. Whatever was going on between them shouldn't have been any of his business to begin with. He continued reading the paper and drinking his latte. If he was going to be the starving artist, he had to look the part.  
  
"Elizabeth... this isn't easy for me to say, and I'm not sure how I can say it."  
  
"Just say it, Ric," Elizabeth told him. "I can handle anything that you can tell me, I've seen you at your worse, I know what to expect."  
  
"Damian was arrested last night, he's been imprisoned at the station ever since."  
  
Dillon almost spit out his coffee, but he didn't want to make the appearance that he was paying any attention to what was going on. He did have business listening in to the conversation from then on, though. After all, Damian was his friend.  
  
Elizabeth wasn't nearly as discrete as Dillon, however. "That can't be true, Ric. You told me that he wouldn't be arrested."  
  
"I didn't think that they had any reasonable grounds to hold him after the first time," Ric defended himself. "I still don't' think that they have any right to hold him, but I'm not the one that did it. Baldwin's found some way to make sure that Damian got pinned with the blame on this case, Elizabeth. I don't know what he did, but whatever it was... Damian's fingerprints ended up being matched on one of the guns that we picked up from the scene."  
  
"He wouldn't hold a gun, it goes against everything that he believes in."  
  
"You don't think I know that?" Ric asked. "I've watched him just as much as you have. I know what he's capable of, and murder isn't one of them. I don't even think he could jaywalk without having a crisis of conscience."  
  
"What are you going to do about it?" Elizabeth inquired. "I just don't want to see that innocent kid spend time in a small prison cell away from his family for something that he didn't do."  
  
"We're working on getting him cleared as quick as possible, but if Baldwin keeps on fabricating evidence, which isn't something that he's above, it could be awhile before we make any real break in the department."  
  
"Damian... he must be so miserable."  
  
Ric touched her hand softly, "I made sure to do everything that I could do in order to make him as comfortable as possible, Elizabeth. I didn't give him a special cell with an actual bed, but I've made sure that he isn't placed around people who would look to abuse him because of his heritage."  
  
"You're protecting him..."  
  
Ric nodded, "Why wouldn't I? He's my nephew and I don't want to see him suffer for something that he didn't do. You believe me, don't you? You believe that I didn't have anything to do with this?"  
  
Elizabeth was certain that he didn't. "You wouldn't do something like that to him, Ric. I know that you want to start forging something with Damian and you wouldn't put that chance in danger."  
  
Elizabeth may have been entirely certain of Ric's innocent, but Dillon wasn't as easy to convince. It was no secret to anyone who even attempted to pay attention to the goings on in Port Charles that Sonny and Ric hated one another. Ric also had a very intense dislike for Jason. He could stand to benefit from Damian's imprisonment. Dillon couldn't be sure, but he wouldn't be fooled into believing that Ric was entirely innocent when he might not have been for certain. Dillon had believed people too many times in the past, most of all his own mother or other members of his family.  
  
"I wanted to tell you last night," Ric said. "I wanted to call you and tell you what had happened, but I was afraid."  
  
"Of what?"  
  
"Of your reaction and how it would make you feel about me. Elizabeth, I care about you too much to lose your respect and your love again. My heart believes that you have seen that I'm not the person that made you run away, but my mind always points out that you could just as easily turn against me again."  
  
Elizabeth turned her eyes away. "As long as you don't do anything that would make me run away from you, Ric, I'll always be here with you. Is there anything that I can do to help?"  
  
"Just believe that we can find a way to make all of this go away, Elizabeth," Ric's request was simple. "Just put your faith in my ability to do the right thing because of my love for you. It's all the help we need."  
  
"I'll do that," Elizabeth said. "But if you can think of anything else, Ric, please just tell me. I want to help as much as I possibly can."  
  
"I'll make sure that you're the first person that I call in case I need support of any kind," Ric smiled softly. "But right now I need to make sure that I go back to the station and try and clear him."  
  
"Good luck," Elizabeth's gave her wish to him just as he exited the door. "I have a feeling you're going to need it."  
  
Dillon turned the top of his newspaper down, exposing his eyes. He knew that it was going to become something like this. He and Georgie knew that they hadn't heard the end of the situation with Damian and his wrongfully accused case. The police force of Port Charles has too much of an agenda against Sonny Corinthos and his organization to just let something like that go. Dillon had to do something to help his friend, but what? He had an idea. Dillon dropped some money to pay for his drink and quickly exited the diner. So intent was he with his idea that he didn't notice that he had nearly ran into someone who was very familiar to him.  
  
"Dillon, it's been awhile."  
  
Dillon looked up, "Hi, Mr. Alcazar."  
  
Lorenzo grinned, "You haven't offered your services to me in some time. I have to admit that it has saddened me. You always brought a certain charm to the projects that I had for you."  
  
Dillon laughed uncomfortably, "Yeah, thanks, I think, but I'm trying to stay as far away from odd jobs right now. I need to be focused on my schooling so that I can get into a good school."  
  
Lorenzo nodded, "Education is a very important thing. If I wasn't as educated as I am, I wouldn't be where I am. Value your time of learning, Dillon, it is the most important time you have."  
  
Dillon put his arm behind his head, "I'll keep that in mind. But, if you don't mind, I've got a lot of things that I need to do..."  
  
"Of course, best of luck to you," Lorenzo watched as Dillon ran off. He wondered where the lad with the unusual hairstyle was heading. 


	119. Unavoidable Ties

Kayla- I'm actually quite fond of Lorenzo. He amuses me. I mean, I don't much like the man, but I certainly would enjoy seeing him create more drama with his ways, both on the show and in the story. Besides, his part in my little drama isn't even close to being finished just yet.  
  
Story-  
  
Morgan Household-  
  
Jason loathed sitting there, on the couch, with his leg propped up on the table. He loathed being unable to do his job, the one thing that always seemed to offer him a constant in life. There were times when everything seemed to be in turmoil, mostly because of his job, but he could always do something that Sonny wanted him to do and it would bring him a sense of accomplishment. Now, the only thing that Sonny wanted him to do was get some rest and heal from the bullet that was intended for him. Jason wouldn't argue with Sonny. If he tried, he would probably lose. If he tried to argue with Sonny in regards to his injury, he would most certainly lose. Sonny had a point, though, they all did. If Jason tried to be the same person he was before the bullet wound, the only thing he would accomplish would be a longer stay on the injured list. Jason had barely been sitting around for two days and it was killing him. If he tried to get up and be active again and in the end it put him on the couch for an even longer period of time... he couldn't handle it. So, with much protest, almost always taken with his characteristic silence, Jason sat on the couch and brooded.  
  
There were so many things that were going on in his head. Everything that he could have done differently on that night, to keep everyone from getting hurt. Himself, Sonny, Damian. Jason was supposed to be the one that kept everyone together, but he hadn't done his job lately, it was the entire reason why everyone was in so much pain, because he had failed them. If he had only convinced Sonny not to go, if he would have made Sonny see that Sonny wasn't ready for what they needed to do, everything would have been different. But there was almost no way that Jason could have convinced Sonny not to leave for the docks that night. Sonny wanted to prove something, and he wasn't going to let anyone prohibit him from proving the point. But, he hadn't proven that point, at least not in Jason's eyes. The only thing that Sonny had proven was that Jason was right about the whole situation. Sonny wasn't ready. Maybe Sonny would never be ready to take on the responsibilities that came with the business. After he had shot Carly there was something different about him. Even with his passion to save his child from Faith, it could only go so far. Sonny managed to luck out with Faith, he hadn't been as lucky with Asp. Even though Asp was dead, the damage had been done. Jason thought about Damian, stewing in that horrid place that they no doubt had him in. If there was one person that didn't deserve to be in jail, it was him. Even during the time that Jason was questionable of Damian, he never thought that the boy could commit such a horrid act.  
  
Courtney was taking it hard as well. The two of them had formed a bond that was arguably stronger than the one that Damian had with his own father. Courtney was the first person that he opened up to, probably because he sensed a kindred spirit in his Aunt that the others didn't have. Jason certainly didn't have her compassion, he wouldn't even try to make it seem like he did. Sonny... in the beginning it was impossible for Damian to see Sonny as more than he appeared to be on the surface. That had changed over the weeks, but at first there was almost no chance that the two would have had a breakthrough conversation.  
  
Jason was glad that things had changed. He was glad that Sonny and Damian had become closer, that they had started to open up to one another. He wasn't sure how long that bond would last if Damian remained in jail. In order to Jason to do anything, he needed his damned leg to heal.  
  
Jason looked down at the wound, the bandage that covered the puncture that had gone through his leg. He was lucky that it hadn't shattered any bone. Looking at it, being reminded of the fact that he wasn't some superhuman enforcer that could do anything and everything without ever worrying about the consequences, didn't make Jason Morgan happy at all. All it did was remind him of his failure. In his line of work, failure wasn't an option.  
  
Jason heard some commotion in the hallway. Were the police back? What reason would they have to come back? Had Damian cracked and told them everything? No, he wouldn't put his family in danger.  
  
"I need to see him!"  
  
"Sorry, that's not happening," Max's voice was much more certain than the younger voice.  
  
"Come on, what am I going to do? Look at me, I don't have a gun or anything that could hurt him!"  
  
"Appearances can be deceiving."  
  
Jason knew the voice. He forced himself off the couch, wincing as he tried to keep as much weight off his leg as possible. He managed by nearly hopping around and grabbing nearby furniture for support. He didn't like looking like an incompetent fool, but at that moment there wasn't anything else that he could do. Jason opened the door and saw Max detaining Dillon. "That's enough, Max."  
  
The man stopped and looked at Jason, "You sure, Jason?"  
  
Jason, throwing a questionable look at Dillon, nodded, "He's not going to be a danger to me."  
  
"I'd never hurt Jason," Dillon told the bodyguard. "If I did, I'd get rid of one of the only members of my family that has even a sliver of sanity remaining, and the only one who I can look up to because he's the only one who got out!"  
  
"Dillon, that's enough." Jason didn't like being reminded of his past, of his family. A past that he couldn't remember. A family that looked down at him because of his inability to remember what was lost, no matter how much he tried. "Come inside."  
  
Dillon did as he was instructed, forcing himself out of Max's grip and giving the bodyguard a mocking look. Max only rolled his eyes, silently thinking 'Teenagers.'  
  
"Thanks for saving me from grumpy out there," Dillon said as he closed the door. "I didn't think that you'd have people guarding you so much. I didn't know that you enjoyed putting your safety into the hands of others."  
  
"I don't," Jason responded blankly. "Now, why the hell are you here?"  
  
"Do I need a reason to visit my favorite cousin in Port Charles?" Dillon asked, that sly grin on his face. Jason wasn't buying it, and Dillon knew that for a fact. "Look, Jason, I don't know why I'm here, really. I just heard about Damian..."  
  
"What happened with him isn't any of your concern."  
  
Dillon shook his head, "That's bull, and you know it! He's my friend, Jason! Now, maybe in the life that you lead, that doesn't mean much, but I'm different from you and I happen to care a great deal about the people who can see past the name and the money and try and judge me entirely on who I am as a person, not as a Quatermaine."  
  
"Are you saying that I don't have any friends?"  
  
Dillon thought about it, "I'm sorry, I was out of line. I just want to help him get cleared, that's all."  
  
"There's nothing you can do to help, Dillon," Jason said. "There's nothing that you could do that wouldn't put yourself in possible danger, and I can't have that."  
  
"I can take care of myself!" Dillon protested. "You've seen me do things for people here."  
  
"I've seen you do things that Alcazar wanted you to do for him, Dillon," Jason corrected. "That doesn't exactly inspire..." Jason put a little too much weight on his leg and stopped to keep himself from moaning in pain.  
  
"Jason?" Dillon knew that something was wrong. Jason never stopped when he had a point to make. Ever. It was then that Dillon looked down and saw Jason's hand on his knee. He noticed the bandage. "Oh, my god, what happened?"  
  
"Nothing, I'm fine," Jason tried to keep Dillon out of his life. It was the best option for both of them.  
  
Dillon shook his head, "I've never seen you act like this, Jason. You're not fine. Do you need any help?"  
  
"I'm fine!" Jason said. "I don't need help."  
  
Dillon backed away, "Jason... look, it's me. I know you don't like your family very much, but I'm not going to do anything to hurt you and I can't just stand around while I know that you're in pain."  
  
Jason looked up at Dillon. He was in a lot of pain, even if he didn't want to admit it. If he didn't have someone help him, it would only prolong his pain. Jason didn't have any other choice. "Help me to the couch, please."  
  
Dillon knelt down and wrapped Jason's arm around his neck before picking up with a slight grunt. Jason was helping him as much as he could, but Dillon was still the one doing most of the work. It made him feel like he was the coolest person on the planet. He was helping Jason Morgan, the black sheep of the Quatermaine clan. If anything could possibly get him exiled from the family, that would be it. Dillon had to laugh.  
  
Jason wasn't amused, at all, "What's so funny?"  
  
Dillon just looked at his cousin, the smirk still on his face, "I never thought I'd be offering my help to you, let alone you taking it."  
  
"Don't make it a habit out of it, Dillon." Jason sat on the edge of the couch and put his leg up again. "But, nonetheless, thanks."  
  
"Jason... what's going to happen to him?"  
  
"We're not going to let him waste away in that jail cell, Dillon. Sonny's not the type of person who would let a member of his family be subjected to the crooked law system. Somehow we're going to get him out."  
  
"If you need me..."  
  
"We don't need you."  
  
"But if you do," Dillon repeated. He wouldn't be brushed off, not right now. "Would you please tell me if there's anything that I can do?"  
  
Jason turned away, "I won't make any promises."  
  
"I never expected any promises for you, Jason. I hope your leg heals."  
  
"So do I."  
  
Dillon looked at his cousin one more time, "Are you sure you're going to be okay? I can hang around for a bit if you need me to."  
  
"I don't need a nursemaid," Jason said.  
  
"Jason, I know that the hardest thing in the world for you is to accept that sometimes, just sometimes, you're not this almighty being with superpowers, but you have to accept that part of yourself. You have to accept that you're human, and you're subject to pain just as much as the rest of us."  
  
Jason eyed Dillon, "I don't need anything else, Dillon. I can take care of myself."  
  
Dillon didn't push the issue, "Fine. Sometimes I wonder what you were like before the accident." Dillon left.  
  
Jason looked up, "Sometimes I wonder, too." 


	120. Stride

Kayla- I promised myself and other people that I WOULD write a Dillon/Jason moment into this, because they need such moments for the greatness that they are. I agree, Lorenzo should stay away from tainting S and C, but that is how the writers write him, plus, it gives him something to do.  
  
Story-  
  
Lorenzo's Home-  
  
Lorenzo walked in, having returned from his brief visit into the heart of Port Charles. Something about Dillon had him alarmed, which was very distracting because Dillon was basically a harmless child. Certainly he was capable of much, but he was also very afraid of the capabilities that he had. That was the main reason why Lorenzo could never give him anything but the most menial of tasks. Dillon just didn't have the heart in him, or rather had the heart, to do some of the more lascivious acts that went around in his organization. Still, Lorenzo had learned to trust his instincts at every possible chance, it was the reason why he hadn't done something horrible to Carly when he had her captive on his yacht. Something inside of him told him that she was special, and much like just about every other time, his instinct ended up being right. With a track record like that, it would have been impossible to just ignore his innermost calling.  
  
No sooner had he closed his door was there a knock on it. He sighed and turned around to reopen the door. He saw one of his workers. "If nothing else, you're prompt."  
  
"I followed the boy like you asked."  
  
"And?"  
  
"He had ventured into the towers, the home of Sonny Corinthos. I certainly didn't feel that I should have attempted to follow him inside. I likely wouldn't have come out alive."  
  
Lorenzo smiled, "You're smarter than you look."  
  
"Thank you, sir."  
  
Lorenzo didn't give any response to that, instead he contemplated aloud what reasons Dillon could have had for visiting the place where Sonny lived. "It makes very little sense. Dillon is friend's with the boy, yes, but they had never met anywhere near Sonny's home. Perhaps... he knows what has happened to Damian."  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Continue following him," Lorenzo ordered. "Make sure that you are not seen. Dillon is a bright young man, if he snoops around enough he can realize my activity in the matter at hand and alert Sonny to my hand in the project."  
  
"Should I eliminate him?"  
  
"No," Lorenzo quickly replied. "Dillon is not to be killed. If he gets too close to some vital information, detain him for the time being, but he is not to be harmed. Do you understand me?"  
  
"I do, sir," The lackey responded. "But, if I may ask, why must I keep the boy alive?"  
  
"He could be a very vital piece of the game at any time," Lorenzo informed his servant. "He is a Quatermaine, with that comes the chance of a decent ransom bill. He is related to Jason Morgan who may not act like he cares about his family, but he would not let one of them die without a fight. He is the boyfriend of the commissioner's darling baby girl. I could control Scorpio through Georgie if I had Dillon in my captivity. I certainly hope none of that happens, however. The main reason that he is to be kept alive is because I see the potential in him for greatness. It is seeded deep within his core, but if it can be brought out, especially by myself, it can be of great use to us all."  
  
"I don't suppose I could except a healthy sum of cash for this mission you have given me."  
  
"You will be paid the money that you deserve, like always," Lorenzo said. "But, if you manage to please me substantially, you may end up getting a nice bonus. However, you cannot earn that money by watching Dillon if you are not actually watching Dillon and are instead speaking with me."  
  
The servant nodded, "I understand, sir. I will report back to you should anything happen."  
  
"Good. Go."  
  
The man left and Lorenzo was alone again. He didn't enjoy being alone as much as he appeared to. He wanted someone to love. He wanted Carly. He would do anything to get the woman of his dreams, to replace the one that he lost. Carly was something special, much like her. Lorenzo opened a small compartment of his desk and pulled out a picture of them together. "You would want me to be happy, wouldn't you? You will always have a place in my heart, but you are gone and Carly is not. I need to destroy her husband and make him as violent towards her as I possibly can. It is the only way that she will leave him. He would never harm their children, but he could do something to her if he was pushed enough." Lorenzo put the picture back. "Everything would have been different... if you had not left me."  
  
The phone rang. Lorenzo looked at the name on the caller ID. It was Baldwin. Making his voice sound as unaffected by his personal heartbreak as possible, he picked up the phone. "What is it?"  
  
"I hit a snag."  
  
Lorenzo sighed, "I was told by you yourself that this was something you could handle without much trouble."  
  
"I can handle it just fine!" Scott yelled into the phone. "Or at least I thought I could, but I wasn't expecting my ADA, the Commissioner, and Lucky Spencer to form some sort of alliance to fish out what's going on with Zuniga!"  
  
"Lansing?" Lorenzo had also not anticipated Sonny's half-brother helping out Sonny's oldest son. The two had no love for one another, if they did Ric wouldn't have kidnapped Carly and kept her in that horrid room while she was carrying Morgan. The other two were possibilities that he was well aware of, but not Ric. "I don't care who is working with whom, Baldwin! You will make these charges stick, do you understand me?"  
  
"They're keeping this from leaking out to the press," Scott informed Lorenzo. "Why else do you think that the arrest hasn't been plastered over the news and the paper? They're more formidable than I thought."  
  
"I do not offer my services to you for your excuses, District Attorney!" Lorenzo wasn't pleased with the way Scott was acting. "You will continue as planned, making modifications where appropriate. Do you understand?"  
  
"I don't enjoy taking orders."  
  
"Then you had better start finding a way to enjoy them. I do not tolerate failure."  
  
"If I could have someone claim to be a witness. Someone who claims that Damian was actually there when he wasn't..."  
  
"Fine," Lorenzo said, annoyed. "I will have someone falsify the truth for you, if that is what it takes."  
  
Scott smiled on his end of the phone, "We work well together."  
  
"I have no intention of making this partnership a habit."  
  
"Neither do I," Scott replied as he hung up the phone. "I never wanted to be in this to begin with. But I didn't have a choice." Scott walked back towards the station, having been hiding out in an alley so that no one would hear him talking to Lorenzo. He had to be as cautious as possible with the situation at hand. If he slipped up even once it could mean the end of everything. Not just his career as an attorney, but his life as well. He was working with Alcazar, a man that had no qualms in killing anyone who failed him.  
  
Port Charles Police Station-  
  
Damian sat on the edge of the very uncomfortable bed. He had thought that sleeping in a chair in the hospital was as bad as it got. Sadly, he was mistaken. It was like the inside of the bed was filled with nothing but bricks. Something that he wasn't very fond of. How he longed for the freedom that he once had. That he once took for granted. The irony wasn't lost on him when he thought about all the things that he didn't put much weight into while he wasn't confined within the iron walls that surrounded him. How he could go out and just stay around the park, watching people walk by and have a good time. He wanted to do that again. He wanted to be around the people that he cared for. He didn't want to be where he was. He shouldn't have been where he was. He was innocent, after all.  
  
Damian wondered if everyone knew what had happened to him by now. Did Sonny tell Michael? Did Mac tell Maxie? Did Georgie and Dillon know? Elizabeth? His grandparents? They would take it hard. They would think that they had failed as the protectors of Damian for the years after Ana-Maria had died. He didn't want them to think that they had failed him. They were the best people to him, the two things that kept him tethered to the world after everything seemed to crumble around him. He might not be able to ever see them again.  
  
"You look like you could use a friend."  
  
Damian looked up and saw Lucky standing on the other end of the cell. "That or a nail filer."  
  
"I wouldn't recommend you trying to break out using one of those."  
  
"How about a spoon?"  
  
Lucky grinned, "You know, for someone who is here for not doing anything but breathing, you're managing quite well."  
  
"I can't change my situation, can I?" Damian asked.  
  
The grin faded. Lucky's pity returned. "No, I guess you can't. If I could find a way to help you, Damian, I would."  
  
"I appreciate it, Lucky."  
  
"I'm sorry," Lucky muttered.  
  
Damian cocked an eyebrow, "You didn't do anything that wasn't part of your job, Lucky. You've nothing to apologize for."  
  
Lucky shook his head, "I was so judgmental of you when you first got here, Damian. I thought that you were involved with Kyle's death simply because of your encounter the day before. I put so much of what I know about your father into you and I shouldn't have done it. For that, I do have to apologize."  
  
"You didn't know who I really was, Lucky. It's entirely understandable that you jumped to the conclusions that you did."  
  
Lucky shook his head, "I should have known better than that."  
  
"Why? Because you're a police officer? Lucky, I'm from Los Angeles, believe me when I tell you that I know a thing or two about people being profiled by the law."  
  
"It has nothing to do with my profession," Lucky admitted. "I'm a Spencer, Damian. My father is one of the most mistreated people in this town. Everything that happens in this town is automatically attributed to my father. I hated that, I still do. Even more, I hate the way that people think that I am just like my father when I'm not. I promised myself that I would never do something like that. I would never judge someone based on who their parents were. But I did that with you."  
  
"It's not easy... being the son of someone that does things that you don't agree with, is it? We try and care for our fathers so much because they are our fathers and we should give them their deserved respect regardless of what they do. I was here for almost a month before I even called my father dad, Lucky. I couldn't stand being around someone like that, accepting that a person like Sonny Corinthos was partly responsible for bringing me into the world. I was clouded by my preconceptions of what people should be like. Sonny didn't fit many, if any, of those preconceptions, but that didn't mean that he was a bad person. I should have known that, but I didn't. I had to wait until I was almost killed to realize my mistake."  
  
"At least you realized it in time," Lucky said sympathetically.  
  
"I suppose." Damian took a look around, "But has my time already ran out?" 


	121. Strength in Numbers

Joy- I didn't take it badly, I was being sarcastic. I, too, have a love for my mindset and how I make it such that the characters in this story can never really have a moment of peace. Let me tell you, it's not always easy throwing in something that will cause some sort of conflict in their lives, sometimes I seriously just have to pull something out of my behind and hope that it is something that the people enjoy. So far I've gotten lucky. I intend on having a few moments where they are happy, I really, really do. They had the first date, isn't that enough!? No... guess its not. Anyway, yes, people think Damian is innocent. I actually don't know how believable I'm making that one, though. I want to make it seem like they really would think that he wouldn't do something, but I might be taking it too far. Scott's corrupt ways shall be dealt with, mark my words! Yeah, part of the reason I included Dillon, other than my severe and unusual love for that boy, is because I wanted to give him something that he's never gotten, a long-term male confidant. I mean, I suppose Tom could be one if they went that way, but he hasn't been around for awhile, so... I'm actually kind of sad that Tom's been MIA. At first I hated him, but then I saw that Georgie could make him a decent person if she tried, and I wanted to see her try. Alas, it doesn't appear to be in the cards.  
  
I don't really think Jason and Dillon being allies in this situation is all that unusual. Granted, he's the black sheep of the Q clan, but he is still a Q, regardless of how much he wants to deny it, and Dillon has stated that he does look up to Jason. Really, who wouldn't? Even though Dillon's pretty much stirred away from the mob part of the show (which is both bad and good, since if he was still IN the mob part he'd get more airtime, but at least he's doing something unique) he's still got that side of him that wants to do something, regardless of how dangerous it might be. I want to see them grow closer, too. Maybe it will happen in this story, maybe not. About Jason Quatermaine, I never got to see him as Jason Quatermaine!!! I want to see what he was like so much, since he was apparently totally different. I just want to see the contrast.  
  
Story-  
  
General Hospital-  
  
As she had done so many times in such a short span of time, Maxie found herself seeking solace in her job. She hated sounding so morbid and self- centered, but at least she could immerse herself in the problems of other people. They had it bad, they had it worse than her in reality. But, as she would often find her mind drifting towards the fact that all she could think of when her mind wasn't occupied by something else was Damian in a jail cell, she knew that at least by working with those people it meant that she was thinking about someone or something else.  
  
She hadn't even talked to Georgie about it, which was somewhat surprising since Georgie was often her most reliable confidant in any situation, but especially matters of the heart. When she was with Kyle, when she was in a relationship that on some level she knew was wrong, Georgie was the only one who continually tried to show Maxie the light. The one that wouldn't give up on her even when she had every reason to do it. Maxie didn't want to burden Georgie with yet another one of her many problems. She had depended on her little sister to be her rock for so long when it should have been the other way around. She was the big sister. She was the one that Georgie should have been coming to for advice and comfort. Maxie always managed to find a way to mess up everything that went on in her life, without fail.  
  
She would often find herself asking about her path in life. It wasn't that uncommon, because she was at that age where it was expected that she should know what she was going to do with her life, but she didn't. Maxie really had very little desire to set her path in life. She knew that she enjoyed helping people at the hospital, and she had been looking towards Nursing, albeit halfheartedly. She didn't have enough confidence in herself to learn everything that no doubt came with the profession. She wasn't smart. She wasn't like Georgie, who could do everything and anything if she set her mind to it. Maxie couldn't do anything, no matter how hard she tried. She wasn't like Damian, who knew at such a young age that he wanted to be a doctor. Maybe because she didn't have the trauma that he did. Whatever the reason, she should have known or at least had a vague idea of her possible future, and yet she had nothing.  
  
"Maxie?"  
  
Maxie looked up and smiled, "Hi, Uncle Tony."  
  
Tony Jones, her uncle through her father, was once one of the best doctors on the staff. He was still very important to the workings, but he was no longer able to do what he could once do. Carly had seen to that, however justified her reasoning was at the time, if she even had an actual justified reason. Now, however, Tony wasn't a doctor at the place that Maxie worked, he wasn't even her superior. He was just her uncle, the one somewhat constant link to her true father that she had. He didn't mind that Mac had taken the girls as his own, he was good with them, Tony saw that. "Are you okay?" Tony asked, having noticed that his niece was acting somewhat absentminded, even by her slightly lower standards.  
  
Maxie's smile didn't fade. She didn't want to burden anyone with her problems. Not her sister. Not her uncle. No one. The only one who should have been worrying about her problems was Maxie alone. "Yeah, I'm fine."  
  
Tony didn't waiver. He wasn't certain at all that she was as adjusted as she tried to make herself appear. "There's nothing that you want to tell me or talk to me about? We might not see that much of each other, Maxie, but I'm still your uncle and I still care about you very much."  
  
Maxie never once denied the fact that Tony did care for herself and Georgie. She wasn't sure why he felt that he needed to state it again. "There's nothing wrong with me, Uncle Tony. I swear." Eventually, she had no doubt that her lie would catch up with her. It always did. But for now it was the only thing that she could do. She didn't want to talk about it, so she wouldn't.  
  
"How's your mother?" Tony still thought of Felicia as a member of her family, even though she and Frisco were no longer together. He was genuinely concerned with how Felicia was holding up after her accident with the horse in Texas. He figured that Maxie, even with the abandonment issues that festered with her mother, would know. It would also be a probable reason for why she was acting like she was hiding something. Tony knew that she wasn't being entirely honest with him, but he respected her choice to let people into her life at her own discretion.  
  
"I'm not really sure," Maxie admitted. "I don't pay that much attention to what's going on with mom. She seemed to be doing a lot better from the last thing that I was told. I'm sure that she'll recover. Dad said that it wasn't all that bad, she was just in the hospital for a couple days just as a precaution."  
  
"Felicia's a tough woman," Tony stated. "She'd have to be in order to survive going a few rounds with my brother!" He chuckled and Maxie chuckled with him, although it was more out of respect than genuine interest in either of her biological parents. To her, as much as she didn't enjoy admitting it, Mac was the only one that mattered to her. Tony stopped laughing, "You know, Maxie, I'm really proud of you."  
  
"For what reason?"  
  
Tony leaned against the counter, "I can't believe you haven't noticed it, but you've changed so much from the immature teenager that you used to be. Look at yourself, Maxie, you've been volunteering here for years and you're one of the best that we have on staff. You help us when we need the help and you don't even try to slack off. You're all business when you're here, and that's something that we all respect, but I respect it more than most. I'm all too aware of the irresponsibility that comes with having our last name. You could have just as easily been the type of person that Frisco is. That thirst for adventure is part of your legacy, but you've ignored it and instead turned your life around to better the lives of other people."  
  
"I'm nothing special, Uncle Tony," Maxie said softly.  
  
"You're special to so many people, Maxie, you just don't want to see it. You're special to me, to Mac, to Bobbie, to Georgie, to Dillon, and you're very special to that boyfriend of yours."  
  
Damian. Maxie tried to fight back the tears that came with remembering him again. She hated being so weepy, but she couldn't help it. "Thanks for the praise, Uncle Tony," Maxie grabbed a random file off the counter. "But, I really should check up on this patient. If you'll excuse me?"  
  
Tony nodded, "I just had a few minutes and I wanted to let you know how much pride I have in you. I wish Lucas could have half the drive that you do."  
  
The thought should have made Maxie feel proud about herself, but she was too busy going through another bout of depression about her boyfriend. She didn't even say anything to him, she just left.  
  
Bobbie came up from the elevator as Tony was walking into it. "Could you do me a favor?" Tony asked his ex-wife.  
  
"Depends on the favor," Bobbie responded.  
  
"Watch Maxie," Tony told her. "She's depressed about something, but she's not telling me. Maybe she'll open up to you."  
  
"I won't force Maxie to tell me anything that she doesn't want to," Bobbie stated. "She knows that she can tell me anything when she's ready."  
  
"Just... make sure that she doesn't let herself get too far into her depression, Bobbie. Please."  
  
She nodded. She couldn't deny him something like that. "I'll watch her, Tony."  
  
"Thanks," Tony closed the door of the elevator and was gone in an instant.  
  
Bobbie frowned, thinking of how sad Maxie may have been. She wasn't entirely sure why Maxie was sad. There was always the possibility of Felicia, but Maxie didn't seem to be very affected by her mother's plight, at least out of general concern for the woman. It was more than likely Damian.  
  
Out of one of the other elevators came a surprise for Bobbie. Her daughter and Michael came out. Carly was holding Michael's hand. He didn't seem to be very pleased either. It only made Bobbie worry about what was going on even more. Like always, however, she was one of the last people to find out anything.  
  
Bobbie knelt down and hugged Michael. "What's wrong, honey?"  
  
"Grandma, do good people go to prison for not doing anything bad?" Michael asked.  
  
Carly winced at the question. She never wanted her son to wonder about such questions. She wanted to keep him protected, even if that wasn't exactly the path with the highest success rate, given the life that they led. "Honey, why don't you go to the vending machine and get a soda or something?"  
  
Michael looked up, "Okay." His voice was devoid of cheer. Even while he walked away his head hung to the ground low.  
  
Bobbie watched Michael turn the corner. She was waiting for him to get far enough away before she went on a tirade. "What the hell happened?"  
  
"Mom..."  
  
"Carly, just tell me!" Bobbie stated angrily. "Do you know how hard it is for me to look at my grandson and see him hurt like that? I don't know what is going on, but I want to find out and help him through it as best I can."  
  
"Damian was arrested last night, mom," Carly said.  
  
Bobbie put a hand over her open mouth. "No... why?"  
  
"The docks, the massacre. They said that he was involved with it."  
  
Bobbie shook her head, "There's no way he could have been. He would never do something like that."  
  
"Baldwin thinks differently," Carly pointed out.  
  
"Scott?" Bobbie thought of the man that once shared, among other things, her heart. "Why would he do something like that?"  
  
"Why else, mother?" Carly wondered. "Because he wants the fame that comes with a high profile arrest, it only feeds that man's sick ego trip."  
  
Bobbie sighed. She knew that Scott could be ruthless, but this was too much, even for him. "Thank you for telling me..."  
  
"Michael's taking it really hard, mom. I don't know what to do. I brought him here because I'm going to take him to Kelly's for some ice cream after we leave. I need to find something that will cheer him up. It's scaring me, mom."  
  
"Just give him time," Bobbie said. "Children have a harder time dealing with such a situation than we do. The best thing we can do for Michael is wait for him to accept what happened and know that everything is going to be okay."  
  
"It might not be okay, though," Carly said softly. "We might not be able to get him out."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I don't know, mom. Everything that is being stacked up against him is pretty iron clad. Even though it's all false evidence. Sonny wants to break him out, but Damian isn't complying with that."  
  
"I'm surprised Sony's even taking someone else's feelings into consideration," Bobbie admitted with just a tinge of bitterness in her voice.  
  
"Mom... Sonny doesn't want to lose Damian again. It happened once, he won't let it happen again."  
  
"Good," Bobbie said. "He's realizing just how precious that young man is."  
  
Elsewhere in the hospital-  
  
Maxie lied about checking up on the patient. She didn't even go into a patient's room. She instead stayed hidden in the snack area. She leaned against the vending machine and sobbed.  
  
"Maxie?"  
  
Maxie knew that voice. She wiped her tears away, "Michael, why are you here?"  
  
"Mommy took me to see Grandma so that she could tell Grandma about Damian." Michael looked up at her. "Why were you crying? Are you hurt?"  
  
"No," She said in-between sobs. "I'm fine."  
  
"I'm not," Michael admitted. "I'm afraid. The bad people are trying to make Damian seem like he's a bad person, too, but he isn't."  
  
"No, he isn't."  
  
"That's why you're crying, isn't it?" Michael observed. "You're worried about him."  
  
Maxie couldn't lie to the boy. She was surprised that he knew. But since he did, there was no reason to try and hide anything. "Yes, I am."  
  
"He wouldn't like it if he knew that he made you cry," Michael took a few steps towards her. "Don't cry for him, Maxie. You have to stay strong."  
  
Maxie knelt down and hugged him. "I'll be strong if you'll be strong."  
  
"I'm not strong," Michael said. "I can't be strong... but I'll try."  
  
Maxie nodded, "So will I." 


	122. Beating the Past

Bobbie had taken a seat with her daughter in the waiting area of the hospital. She wasn't very happy about what was going on with Damian, although she couldn't be blamed. She cared about that boy, regardless of what other people thought about him. She knew from the beginning that he wasn't going to be the type of person that they thought he was. "You should have told me last night," Bobbie muttered.  
  
"It was late."  
  
"I was up."  
  
"Mom," Carly said softly. "None of us meant to hurt you."  
  
"But you did," Bobbie countered. "What? Did you think that he wasn't important to me? Need I remind you, Carly, that you were the one that didn't care about him for a long time. I was always there for him, and he knew it."  
  
"I'm sorry!"  
  
"You must be happy," Bobbie said with spite. "You got what you wanted. He's not around Sonny and your children anymore."  
  
"Mother! That's not fair!"  
  
"That's how you treated him for a long time, Carly. I'm sorry if I have a hard time believing that you just all of a sudden had a change of heart."  
  
"I've done it before, haven't I?" Carly asked. "With you?"  
  
Bobbie looked over, "That isn't the same. You were a new mother and I was a new grandmother."  
  
"Look, mom, I'm not going to make excuses for the way that I acted when Damian first came into our lives. They were wrong, I was acting incredibly selfish and I shouldn't have been acting like that, but I didn't know how to feel. The only thing that I knew at that time was that I was feeling that my entire family life was being threatened by someone who had no right putting himself between my husband, my children, and myself."  
  
"He didn't put himself in between anyone," Bobbie said. "He just wanted to find acceptance from a father that he never knew. You should have been sympathetic, Carly. You know what it's like to grow up without a parent, or both parents. I'm sorry that I did that to you, and I'll never truly be able to forgive myself for it, but you should have been more sympathetic."  
  
Carly sighed, "I can't make up for the past! Believe me, if I could do it again, I would change everything and I would open my arms to that boy, but what's important right now is that we stand together and try to clear his name! Mom, I told you because I felt that you had a right to know, but there's nothing that you can do."  
  
"Does Mike know?" Bobbie asked.  
  
Carly shook her head, "Sonny hasn't told him yet."  
  
"Mike is Damian's grandfather. He has a right to know when his grandson is in trouble."  
  
"I agree, but I am not the one that needs to tell Mike, Sonny is."  
  
"He should have already informed Mike."  
  
"You know that their relationship is a lot more complicated than that," Carly said. "There's years of pain between those two. You can't just expect that everything be erased overnight."  
  
"Whatever Sonny and Mike are going through and have been going through for years has nothing to do with Damian, Carly. Mike has every right to be there for his grandson just like Sonny does to be there for his son."  
  
Carly shook her head, "That's their business and their business alone."  
  
"If Mike doesn't find out soon enough I am going to tell him," Bobbie said with no hint of lying in her voice. She meant what she said. "You tell Sonny that. I don't want Mike to find out that his grandson was arrested by seeing it in the newspaper or on the television."  
  
"This is difficult for all of us," Carly mentioned. "I can't believe that you're acting like this."  
  
"I'm acting how I feel that I should be acting. Much like you felt when Damian first came around."  
  
Carly stopped herself. Her mother had a point, a bitter point. "I should get back to the penthouse. I wonder what is taking Michael so long to get his soda."  
  
"I'm right here, mommy." Michael walked up, holding Maxie's hand.  
  
Carly saw Maxie and instantly thought about how she was taking the situation. Surely she knew. Carly didn't want to be the one to tell her if she didn't. "Hi, Maxie."  
  
Maxie smiled in response, "Michael and I had a little talk, I didn't mean to keep him for so long and worry you. I'm sorry."  
  
"It's fine," Carly said. "I feel safe if you're watching him. At least I know that he was fine." She turned her attentions towards her precious child. "You ready to go, Mister Man?"  
  
"Yeah," Michael's spirits were somewhat higher, although the shadow of doubt still loomed over him like it loomed over them all.  
  
"Come on, then. We'll go get Ice Cream like I promised and then we'll go home."  
  
Michael looked at the two other women, "Bye, Grandma. Bye, Maxie."  
  
Bobbie knelt down and kissed her grandson on the cheek. Silently she wondered if Carly would let her know if something bad happened to Michael or Morgan right away. Would she wait a day before she said anything, like she had with Damian? "You stay good, okay?"  
  
"I will," Michael said as he and his mother walked into the elevator.  
  
Maxie didn't want to see Carly, but she knew that she would have to because she was with Michael. She had a feeling that Carly was enjoying everything that had happened to Damian. She was no doubt getting some sick pleasure out of seeing Damian, her own step-son, suffer. It was no secret to anyone that Carly did not want Damian around any of them.  
  
"I take it you know," Bobbie said as she got up and wiped her knees.  
  
"About Damian? Yeah."  
  
"Did Mac tell you?"  
  
Maxie nodded, "This morning."  
  
"Maxie, I know how much you enjoy working here, but I also know that there are times when you have to take a break. Maybe you should take a break from everything right now. Get some time off to put everything into perspective."  
  
"No, Bobbie. I'm fine. I need something to do. If I just stand around worrying about Damian the only thing that I am going to do for sure is drive myself crazy. Besides, I don't want anyone worrying about me."  
  
"How can we not?" Bobbie asked. "We all know how much the two of you care for each other. It must be killing you, knowing that he's in trouble and feeling so helpless. It's how I feel..."  
  
"People are always helping me pick the pieces up from my shattered life, Bobbie. I'm sick of making everyone do the work for me. I can handle this."  
  
"Maxie... we worry about you and we help you because we love you. We don't mind helping you when we know that you're going through something and you're having a hard time with it."  
  
The girl shook her head, "I won't be the subject of everyone's pity!"  
  
"None of us pity you."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Why would you even think that we pitied you, Maxie?" Bobbie asked. "When have any of us ever given you the feeling that you were merely tolerated, that you weren't loved and accepted for who you are."  
  
"I don't know, I'm just going through a lot right now."  
  
"Which is why you should take a break."  
  
"I told you, I'm not going to take a break!" Maxie almost yelled at Bobbie. She felt bad doing it, but she wasn't going to stand around and do nothing. She couldn't take it. It would break her. "I'm going to go and find something to do."  
  
"Maxie... wait. Promise me that if you do need someone, you'll talk to one of us. It doesn't even have to be me, or Mac, or your sister. Just talk to someone if you're having a problem with anything. Please, Maxie. You mean to much to all of us. We couldn't watch you self-destruct and survive."  
  
"I can't promise anything," Maxie walked away and went to do something, anything. As she walked around the corner, she saw a large amount of pills on one of the carriers. She knew what some of them did. She knew that if she took a certain bottle it would help her forget everything. Maxie bit her lip as she looked at the bottles. She didn't want to get back into drugs. It had gone very badly for her the first time. She had overdosed on ecstasy and there was no doubt in her mind that she could get addicted again very easily. She had been clean for over a year.  
  
She thought about everything. She wanted an escape. She wanted to forget that Damian was in jail. She wanted to forget that her mother was hurt. She wanted to forget that she and her mother had problems. She wanted to forget everything. But she didn't want to take the path of drugs again. She wanted to make sure that everything that she did was through herself. She could beat this. She could beat anything if she believed in herself. Damian believed in her. Even if he was in jail, his love for her was still in her heart. She could find the strength to deal with everything through that bond.  
  
Maxie picked up the bottle and smiled, "Never again. I don't need you. Not anymore." She put the bottle down, looked at it, and walked away. It was a small step in her path towards self-acceptance. But she was one step closer to something that she wanted very badly.  
  
She also wanted Damian to be out of jail and for them to both live together in love. But she wasn't sure just how likely that was at that moment in time. 


	123. Old Flame

Port Charles Police Department, Interrogation Room-  
  
He didn't enjoy being called into a room when he had visitors. It wasn't but a scant few months ago that he would relish the idea of actually having someone come to visit him, but having said visitors come around when he was inside of an all too small and uncomfortable room all but killed the vibe that Damian felt. For one brief moment in time he was popular, but he'd give anything to just going back to how it was before he was arrested. He couldn't give up anything other than that, though. He couldn't say to himself that he would honestly want to turn back the clock and never come to Port Charles, never come to fulfill the last request of his late mother, never find his father and realize that he had a family of people that he now knew he loved very much. Up until the night at the docks things weren't exactly ideal, but Damian wouldn't have traded those moments for anything in the world. He had so many people who meant something to him in his life. Sonny, Michael, Morgan, Courtney, Jason, Maxie, Dillon, Georgie, Mike, Bobbie, Elizabeth, Ric, even on some strange level Carly. He couldn't forget them, nor would he ever want to.  
  
He still wondered if his grandparents in Los Angeles had found out about what had happened. He had no doubt that they would not hear about it on the news. Something that happened in some sleepy New York town would not hit the airwaves of Los Angeles unless it was something considerably big. Damian Zuniga, just another nobody in the overall scheme of things, being arrested did not make headline news. He was actually thankful for that, though. He didn't want them finding out about what had happened to him through anyone else but himself or his father. But did Sonny tell them? It was unlikely. There was so much strife between them, especially Elias and Sonny. It was understandable, if not a little unfounded on his grandfather's part. But, Damian wouldn't even try to stop the feelings from coming to pass.  
  
The door opened on the other end as Damian sat there in the chair. He couldn't do anything else. Even if he wanted to try and escape, there was no way that he would make it out the front door.  
  
Bobbie walked in and saw her pseudo-grandson. He tried to put on a face, she knew it, but she wasn't falling for it. Still, she couldn't help herself and she didn't want to distress him. "Hi."  
  
"Hi," Damian returned the greeting. "I wasn't expecting you to come."  
  
"Carly just told me what happened a few hours ago," Bobbie sat on the other end of the table. "I have to admit that there's a long list of people that I would have expected to be seeing in this room, and you were nowhere on it. My brother, my daughter, my son-in-law certainly, but never you."  
  
"Would it help any if I told you that I'm finding the entire situation a little hard to believe myself?" Damian asked.  
  
Bobbie shook her head, "No, it wouldn't."  
  
"Then I won't even try."  
  
Bobbie gave a smirk. She couldn't believe how well he seemed to be taking everything. But she also knew that no matter how he appeared, Damian was very likely feeling entirely afraid of what could happen. How could he not? He had someone setting him up because of his relations to Sonny and Jason. They cared about him, and that made him a target for more than a few people on both sides of the law. Bobbie knew that the law wasn't exactly the most objective thing on the planet, but even now she was more assured about how much disdain she held for it. "They're... not treating you wrong, are they?"  
  
"Well, they wouldn't give me the privacy I wanted when I had to use the toilet this morning, but that's par for the course, right?"  
  
Bobbie sighed, "You're trying to humor me."  
  
"I'm trying to humor myself," Damian admitted. "It's what I do, Bobbie. If I let the situation sink in, if I let myself realize what is happening and truly accept it, I don't know what I'd do. I might not act like it very often, but I'm just as fragile as every other person on the planet. I'm not some emotional Superman who can take everything that comes my way and just let it bounce off of some shield that I've erected."  
  
"There's really nothing I can say that can make you feel any better about what's going on, is there?"  
  
Damian thought about it, "There is one thing. Have you seen Maxie?"  
  
"She was at the hospital before I left on one of her shifts."  
  
Damian was happy that she was at least continuing her volunteer work. He knew how much she used it to blanket herself from her problems. "Does she... know?"  
  
Bobbie's eyes closed. "Yes, she does. Mac told her this morning."  
  
"At least he told her," Damian was pleased that Mac had made good on his promise. "How's she holding up?"  
  
"She's a lot like you," Bobbie admitted. "Only she uses the volunteer work as her safety net. She's hurting because she feels that she failed you somehow. She's not the only one who feels that way about you. I do, too."  
  
"Nobody failed me, Bobbie," Damian said. "This is all my fault."  
  
"You can't believe that," Bobbie countered. "You didn't do anything wrong."  
  
"You believe that I'm innocent?"  
  
"How can I not?" Bobbie asked. "Damian, I've only known you for a short time, but I'd like to think that I know you pretty well. I'd like to believe that I can judge your motives and how you would react to something. You'd never kill anyone, we both know that. Everyone who actually spends some time with you would also realize that you're just not the type of person that people might want to think you are."  
  
"Thanks," Damian said. "Every time I hear someone tell me that I'm innocent it makes me feel like I can beat this."  
  
"You can. But the easiest way to beat it is to tell the truth."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Bobbie looked at him, "You know what went on at the docks that night, don't you?"  
  
Damian wasn't sure how she knew that he was there, but she did. That didn't mean that he was going to tell her anything, though. He trusted Bobbie, he truly did, but he also knew that she wouldn't let something like his knowledge sit around and fester, especially if he went to prison. He couldn't let anyone, not even Bobbie, turn the tables and make it so that Sonny or Jason ended up going instead of him. Even if it came out that they acted in self-defense, they were still there because of illegal activity. "I was at the docks that day, Bobbie, but I didn't have anything to do with it."  
  
"What are you afraid of?" Bobbie asked. "Are you afraid that if something happens you're going to get in trouble? Do you think that Sonny is going to hurt you in some way if you tell the truth?"  
  
"I don't fear my father," Damian told her. "He'd never hurt me or any of his children. We mean too much to him."  
  
"What happened?" Bobbie continued digging. "Could you at least tell me what you want to tell me about that day?"  
  
"I took a break from studying," Damian said. "I wanted to feel and smell the ocean, so I went to the docks."  
  
"Did you tell them that?"  
  
"Yeah, but they don't believe me, not entirely. If they did, I don't think I would be sitting here waiting to go back to my drab cell. Besides, no matter what I say, they still end up going back to the fact that it was my fingerprints that were on the murder weapon that they discovered at the docks."  
  
Bobbie sighed, she knew that something was being kept from her. She had enough time spent with Luke under her belt to know when everything wasn't being given to her. Luke was good at that, but she was better at fishing out the truth than her brother would ever give her credit for. Of course, she wouldn't force it out of anyone. "If there is anything else that you could remember, Damian, anything that will help you then you need to make sure that you tell someone. It doesn't even have to be me. You just have to make sure that you do tell someone. The only way you're going to get out of this is if you don't hide anything from anyone."  
  
"I'll keep that in mind," Damian replied.  
  
"Well, I've still got some things that I need to take care of before I get back to the hospital. You sure you don't need anything?"  
  
"A small favor."  
  
Bobbie nodded, "Name it."  
  
"Keep them together," Damian started. "You're someone that they can all trust and look to for help when they need it. Bobbie, don't let everyone fall apart because of what happened to me. If that happens, then I won't be able to live with myself. I don't want to cause any pain to anybody."  
  
"I'll do what I can." Bobbie was astonished at the fact that through it all, through everything that had happened to Damian, his first concern was still with the people that he cared about. She knew that he was selfless, but she wasn't aware that he could be that selfless. She wasn't aware anyone could be. "I'll stop by another time."  
  
"I'm not going anywhere."  
  
Bobbie turned her head over her shoulder as she was out the door, "We'll get you out." She opened the door and was gone, but she wasn't done with everything that she had to do at the police station yet. She knew where she wanted to go next.  
  
Scott Baldwin's Office-  
  
Scott was rummaging through the mills of his mind, devising a way to make Damian look even more guilty of a crime that he didn't commit. He heard a tap on his door, "I asked not to be disturbed!"  
  
Bobbie pushed the door open, "I wouldn't think that the claim would pass to me as well."  
  
Scott looked at Bobbie, "Bobbie..."  
  
"Hello, Scott," Bobbie took a few steps in.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Scott wondered.  
  
"You know why I'm here, Scott," Bobbie replied bluntly. "You know that you're sending an innocent young man into prison for doing something that he didn't do."  
  
"If you're talking about Zuniga, which I believe that you are then you're the one that is mistaken, Bobbie. We've got evidence that pins him down at the crime."  
  
"That's fake, we both know it."  
  
"How can you be so sure?"  
  
"Because I know that Damian wouldn't kill anyone for any reason, not even to save himself."  
  
Scott smiled, "Always willing to believe in the best of people."  
  
"Even when other people refuse to see the good inside of that person," Bobbie continued. "You should feel at home with that theory, Scott."  
  
Scott turned his eyes away, "Don't remind me."  
  
"Scott... I'm asking you as your friend, as a woman that you cared about very much for once upon a time, don't do this. Don't do something that you know is wrong. He has a family, he has a future. How would you feel if Serena was accused of doing something that she didn't do and ended up going to jail for it?"  
  
"The difference between the two of them is that Serena is innocent."  
  
Bobbie disagreed, "I don't think that there is any difference between the two at all."  
  
"I'm sorry, Bobbie, but I can't make these charges go away for anyone. Not even you."  
  
"I see," Bobbie said softly. "I had hoped to find the man that I knew, the one that would do what was right because of the sheer fact alone that it was the right thing to do. I had always thought that somewhere deep down inside that man was still alive. I guess I was only fooling myself. He's dead, and he's never coming back. Like you said, I always see the best in people, even when I shouldn't. It's my curse, I suppose."  
  
"Bobbie..."  
  
"Save it, Scott," Bobbie cut him off. "I don't want to hear any of your excuses anymore, because I'll never believe them. You can show me all the evidence in the world, it will never be convincing enough to show me that Damian was guilty of killing people that night. Convince all the jury's and judges in the country, in the world, that he did it, but you'll never have my agreement on the matter."  
  
"What makes you people come to his aid so quickly?" Scott asked. "Everyone that I see is just running in circles trying to protect this kid from facing the wheels of justice. What is it about him?"  
  
"You'd only have to spend a moment alone with him to realize just how pure and good he is," Bobbie said. "You might be able to learn something from him. Goodbye, Scotty," Bobbie turned around and left.  
  
Scott wanted her to stay. He tried to ask her to stay, but he knew that she wouldn't. Instead he picked up the phone and pressed a button, "Is Zuniga still in Interrogation 1? Keep him there." Scott hung up the phone and walked out. 


	124. Pleas

Kayla- A thousand apologies! I forgot to add my reply to your post yesterday! So sorry for this I am! I'm glad you enjoyed the mother/daughter conversation that I had going on. I felt kind of bad since Bobbie had been pretty much neglected in my story, which was something I wanted to change from the show. She's probably going to spend a little more time in the spotlight coming up, though, so we've all got that to look forward to. Provided, of course, that we're fans of Bobbie.  
  
Joy- Poor Maxie, going through so much and not knowing how she is going tog et out of it. It's not that she can't see that she's a better person, it's just that with everything that has happened to her in such a short amount of time she doesn't know how to deal with it in a reasonable way. Yeah, I liked the Michael/Maxie moment a lot as well, it was fun. There might be a few more of those coming up.  
  
Story-  
  
He didn't lie to Bobbie, at least not in the sense that he told her something that was false. He was there that day because he wanted to get some fresh air. That much was true. He omitted the fact that he came back when he heard gunshots, and the fact that the only reason he had returned was because he knew that his father and his uncle were there and he had to make sure that they were not riddled with bullets and clinging onto a last breath of life. It would put a lot into perspective, about his motives and about his reasons for being there, but it would also hurt Jason and Sonny, something that Damian couldn't bring himself to do.  
  
There were so many times over the night that he thought about it. He thought about what could happen if he told the truth. If he let it be known that he was only there because of his ties to his family. It would have been so easy to sell them out, but he couldn't do it. There was more than the fact that it would probably do nothing for anybody, he'd probably still be the one that would be in trouble, but the only thing he would do is put them into trouble too. He'd betray people that he had only barely began gaining the trust of, and he couldn't do that to them. The others would understand, they'd have to, because he wasn't going to let someone else take the fall, even if that someone else was someone who was entirely involved when he was completely innocent. It was the nature of his morality. His best friend and his worst enemy at times.  
  
The door opened again. Damian thought that maybe it was Bobbie coming back to say something else. When it opened fully and he saw Scott standing there he knew that his feeling was unfounded and incorrect.  
  
"I'm having the hardest time figuring you out, Zuniga. You know that."  
  
"My name isn't 'Zuniga,' Baldwin."  
  
Scott laughed, "You're not in the position to be telling me how to do or say anything. I'm the one on the right side of the law."  
  
"I could debate that."  
  
"You've got a mouth on you," Scott observed. "Do you snap as easily as your father?"  
  
"You might not want to find out," Damian replied.  
  
"You some kind of witch doctor or something?" Scott asked. "You put a spell on every single person in this city so that the moment they meet you you're automatically made into some saintly figure who can do no wrong?"  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
"Come on, out with it. What's your secret?" Scott pressed on. "I could buy Sonny and Jason coming in here and spouting off about how innocent you are, but you've managed to coerce three members of my squad and Bobbie into believing that you're not guilty of anything."  
  
"They believe the truth," Damian told him. "They can see past the lies that you're trying to put on me."  
  
"I'm a good liar."  
  
"And I've been taught from the day I was born that, in the end, the only one who ends up losing is the one who lies." Damian eyed Scott, "You ready to lose?"  
  
"You ready to have your childhood misconception about truth shattered?"  
  
"Had to happen sometime," Damian's voice was monotone. He could go a round with Baldwin, easily. That didn't mean that he wanted to do it, though. He wanted Scott to leave. He still felt uncomfortable around the DA, figuring that something that he said could put them all into a lot of trouble. He chose his words carefully, but he wasn't at all seasoned in dealing with crooked law enforcement, at least not personally.  
  
"I could make this all go away," Scott said. "I could make you a deal."  
  
"And what would this deal entitle?"  
  
"You telling me what really happened that night, who shot those people. Who murdered half a dozen men?"  
  
"None of them were good men," Damian said. "They were criminals."  
  
"How could you know that?" Scott asked.  
  
"They carried guns. They were not police officers, were they? Not even undercover officers. Decent people don't need to carry guns for protection. Decent people don't need protection."  
  
"Some people have guns just in case," Scott said.  
  
"Such people don't walk around town with a loaded gun, do they?" Damian asked. "Do you carry around a loaded gun while you're walking down the street? While you're getting a cup of coffee at Kelly's?"  
  
"If I make these charges stick, and right now I've got a very good chance of it to be honest, you could go to prison for a very long time."  
  
"I will know that I am innocent. The people that I care for will know that I am innocent. It is enough to keep me going for the rest of my life."  
  
"Don't you have any plans for your life?" Scott asked. "You want to become a doctor. Kind of hard to do that from a prison cell, isn't it?"  
  
"The only one that is holding my dream in jeopardy is you, Baldwin," Damian said. "You're the only one who wants these charges to stay in place, for whatever reason that may be. I don't know what I did to get on your bad side. Perhaps you are tired of watching my father continually get success while you are denied it. I can understand your jealousy."  
  
"I'm not jealous of your father!"  
  
"Not even a little?" Damian asked. "Sonny Corinthos could have anything and everything he wanted at any time. All the women, all the money, all the power. That doesn't entice you even the slightest?"  
  
"Sounds like you're the one who wants the power," Scott said. "Maybe you're upset because as long as you're in here, you can't take over Daddy's empire once he bites the bullet. Someone's going to be better than Sonny one day, Damian. IN the end,t here is always someone better."  
  
"I learned long ago that material possessions cannot bring true happiness," Damian said. "My father's vast wealth in monetary value means nothing to me. It is the richness that he can give me by providing me with two brothers who I care for dearly, an Aunt who I can look to for emotional support without question, an Uncle who will stop at nothing to see that I am kept safe because of his compassion for his family, and, most importantly, a father who is more than just the one that provided me with half of my genetic make-up. That, Scott, is true wealth. Something that cannot be denied."  
  
Scott was in awe. The boy... Bobbie was right about him. Being around him, he just oozed this feeling of compassion. It hit Scott, who was well known for being jaded and callous when he didn't need to be. Nonetheless, the feeling was fleeting. Scott knew that he had something that needed to be done. Damian had to be put in prison for this, or his career was over. Even more importantly was that his life would be over if he failed in this deal with the devil that was Alcazar. Now, however, Scott had to wrestle with the blossoming return of his conscience, which was reminding him quite a lot of how he was once. Someone with hopes and dreams. When and where did everything take a turn for the worse? Why did he become the person he had become? Scott turned around, "Don't make me do this... please."  
  
"I'm not making you do anything," Damian pointed out. "The only one who is keeping me here is you."  
  
Scott opened the door and Ric walked in. "Scott, what are you doing here?"  
  
"I could ask you the same question."  
  
"I've got familial ties to Damian. That's more than enough reason, don't you think?"  
  
Scott, his face sagging with conflicting emotions, just walked out.  
  
Damian knew that he had made an impact. Would it be enough? "Uncle Ric..."  
  
"You shouldn't talk to him."  
  
"He came here and talked to me," Damian said. "It's not like I can just walk out, or shut the door in his face."  
  
"Your silence is the only thing that can prevent Scott Baldwin from using anything that you say against you," Ric said. "You know that he's the one that is doing this to you, don't you?"  
  
"I'm well aware of the fact that Baldwin is responsible for my imprisonment, yes."  
  
"Then why are you compromising any chances you have at getting out by talking to him?"  
  
"I'm not compromising anything," Damian countered. "I'm trying to inspire compassion in the man!"  
  
Ric laughed, "Scott Baldwin has no compassion!"  
  
"The same could be said of you," Damian pointed out. "Think about how little everyone thinks of you, Uncle Ric. Think about how many people think that you're out to destroy me because of my ties to my father, because I'm a link that puts us all together and one that could get in the way of your desire to see him in pain. People see you as cold faced and unfeeling, but you care about me, don't you?"  
  
Ric didn't have an answer, because anything he said would be against him. "I see your point."  
  
"I didn't say anything that could be used against me, I don't believe."  
  
"You shouldn't have taken the risk."  
  
"I've got nothing else to lose," Damian remarked. "What's the worse that can happen? I can't get put in a situation worse than this."  
  
"Do you think your gambit paid off?"  
  
Damian shrugged, "I don't know. I certainly hope so..." 


	125. Always the Last to Know

Note: I have decided, after seeing yesterday's episode, that there must be a Tracy and Jason moment worked into this story. It would make me very happy. My love for her is great, she's such a bitch.  
  
Joy- I knew when I went with this plot point that it would have at least one moment where Bobbie and Scott did something where they brought up their past. Yes, Bobbie's heartfelt words did very little to motivate Baldwin, but give her some points from crying.  
  
I didn't think I would enjoy writing the Damian/Scott banter as much as I did. It was something that was a little like Sonny/Damian in that they're two completely different people. And, much like with Sonny, Damian was able to appeal to Scott on some level, regardless of how futile it could have been.  
  
Kayla- On some levels, Damian's beliefs are those that should be shared by many people. Wealth, monetary wealth at least, is certainly a benefit in life, but it isn't true wealth. I'm glad you felt that the message was poignant.  
  
Story-  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
Carly and Michael walked into their home hand in hand. Michael was normally very happy to return home to the place that he loved, filled with people that he cared about deeply. However, that feeling was all but gone. Now, he knew that there was something missing when he stepped inside. There were still people that he loved, but not everyone that should have been there was there. The first time it happened, Michael took it hard, but he knew that Damian would still come to see him if he wanted it. Now Michael understood that Damian couldn't just waltz into the house whenever he wanted. He couldn't even get out of that prison cell. Michael wasn't sure how he felt about that. He had been taught that only bad people got put in jail and prison, but Damian wasn't a bad person and he was there in the jail.  
  
Michael looked over at the door to Damian's room. It was usually open, even when he wasn't home or he was in the living room. Now, it was closed. It meant a lot more to Michael than simply 'the door was closed.' His brother wasn't home, his brother might never come home.  
  
"Honey?" Carly looked down at her son. She saw where he was looking. Her heart went out to him. Damian was a powerful influence on him, and he was also a good one to Michael. Carly couldn't see it at first, but now that she could she realized just how wrong she was.  
  
"Buddy?" Sonny and Courtney were sitting on the couch. Sonny spoke, concerned over yet another son's wellbeing. Morgan wasn't old enough to be affected by Damian's sudden departure. Or, at least, Sonny hoped he wasn't.  
  
Michael looked at each of his parents. On one side he had Carly, who wasn't approving of any relationship Michael had with Damian in the beginning. On the other he had his father, who couldn't keep his big brother safe from the bad people that took him away. In one form or another, both of them had failed him, as well as failed Damian. Courtney stood up, her eyes giving off the easily readable signs of compassion and sorrow. Michael broke free of Carly's hold, carefully, and passed by his father, wrapping his arms around his aunt's waist. He wasn't angry at his parents, but he was disappointed in each of them for some reason.  
  
Courtney gazed at Carly and Sonny for a moment. She wasn't sure what was going on, but whatever it was, Michael wanted to be held by her. She couldn't deny her young nephew such a simple request. She had an idea about what was causing Michael so much distress. It was a feeling that she felt as well. "We'll get through this, Michael," She said softly.  
  
He looked up at his aunt. For a fleeting moment, he believed her. "I'm going to go into my room."  
  
"Sure, honey," Carly said, taking a few steps before sitting on the arm of the couch next to her husband.  
  
Michael let go of his aunt and walked up the stairs. He was slumped over. It was still bugging him.  
  
Courtney sighed, "This is killing him."  
  
"He's not the only one," Sonny muttered. "He's taking it hard because he doesn't entirely understand what's going on. If he did, he'd be taking it even worse. It's bad enough on the adults to know what is happening to Damian. How he's sitting in that cell and being treated like scum for something that he didn't even do."  
  
"Justus can't do anything?" Carly asked. "You pay him to be the best attorney for our family, don't you?"  
  
"He's trying," Sonny admitted. "But there are a lot of hurdles that he needs to jump in order to get Damian off. Justus can do it. I have no doubt in my mind that he can eventually find a way to free Damian. The problem is that it can take awhile. Days, months, maybe even a few years depending on how well Baldwin plays the game that he's playing with my son's life."  
  
"And there's nothing that you can do?"  
  
Sonny shook his head, "There's plenty of things that I can do, Carly. I can buy my son's freedom. I can break him out and take him away, give him a new identity. I can have someone threaten Baldwin until he finally gets Damian released, but none of those options are things that I am willing to do because in the end they won't help Damian at all. They're only going to push him away from this family, and I can't have that happen. I won't let it happen. Not again."  
  
"In the meantime we just let our little boy suffer?" Carly asked.  
  
"It's not like that, Carly," Courtney defended her brother's actions. "Sonny's just trying to do what he can and not put his relationship with Damian in danger. Can you blame him for not wanting to destroy something that's so important to him, but fragile at the same time?"  
  
"I didn't mean it like that," Carly put her head in her cupped hands. "I just don't want to see Michael suffer like he is."  
  
"None of us do," Courtney said softly.  
  
"How'd things go at the hospital?" Sonny inquired, taking his mind off the subject of his son being put through hell as much as possible.  
  
"She wasn't happy," Carly told her husband. "Not that I blame her. But she thinks that I didn't want to tell her when it happened because I wanted to keep it from her. I just couldn't bring myself to inform my mother that Damian had been thrown in jail like that."  
  
"Did she believe you?" Sonny could see Bobbie acting like that, but that didn't mean that he liked it.  
  
"I don't know," Carly thought about it. "I certainly hope so."  
  
"We know that you just couldn't bring yourself to tell her, Carly," Courtney said sympathetically. She was once one of the people that was against Carly's resentment towards Damian, but now that Courtnye could see that Carly had changed her ways, she wasn't going to let anyone accuse her of doing something so mean, at least now that she wasn't guilty of such a thing. "If she doesn't understand that right now it's because she's just as scared as the rest of us. She'll come around."  
  
Carly nodded her head before she got up, "I'm going to go check on Michael, just make sure he's okay."  
  
When Carly was gone, Courtney eyed her brother. "You know, dad still doesn't know."  
  
"Does he need to know?" Sonny asked.  
  
"How can you even think about something like that, Sonny? He's our father, and he's Damian's grandfather. He has a right to know what is going on in his grandson's life."  
  
"Tell him."  
  
Courtney shook her head, "No, I'm not going to be the one to tell our father that your son is in jail. This is something that you need to talk to him about, Sonny. No one else can tell dad about what happened aside from you."  
  
"What makes you think that I'm going to tell him?"  
  
"Sonny... he's our father."  
  
"He left us both."  
  
Courtney closed her eyes, "You and I both know that he thought he was doing what was best. That didn't mean that it was right, but he was young and confused and he regrets what he did before now, he regrets it a lot."  
  
"It doesn't make everything okay, Courtney," Sonny pointed out.  
  
"I never said that it did!" Courtney said. "Sonny... please. Don't make anyone else tell dad. It has to come from you."  
  
"He doesn't deserve to know."  
  
"How would you feel if Damian still hated you and he had a son, your grandson, that was in trouble and Damian wouldn't even tell you that something was wrong? How would you feel if you were kept out of someone's life, someone that you cared about very much?"  
  
"I'd never abandon my family," Sonny got up. "I'd never be like Mike."  
  
"Sonny... I know how much hurt dad put you through after he was gone. I know that because he left you got abused by Deke, but you can't keep him at arm's distance forever. Whatever it is that the two of you have to work out has to be done soon. Can you really live on with your life knowing that you didn't bury an old grudge with our father? If dad were to get hurt tomorrow, if he were to be gone like that, you wouldn't feel guilty?"  
  
Sonny thought about it for a long moment. He and his father were civil with one another, that had changed from the time that Sonny couldn't bring himself to care about his own father, a man that left him and his mother, which led to her ultimate self-destruction. Sonny loved his mother, dearly. His pain was partly on his own behalf, yes, but there was a large part of the reason that he loathed Mike as much as he did because of what happened to Adella. It wasn't fair to her. It still wasn't fair to her. "No, I wouldn't."  
  
Courtney couldn't believe that Sonny was telling the truth, but she had no way of being certain that her brother was, in fact, not being completely honest. "You should still call him. If not for yourself, if not for him, then at least for me and Damian. Do you think he'd accept the fact that you never told our father what happened?"  
  
Sonny had to admit that Damian wouldn't be in favor of keeping Mike in the dark. "If anyone asks, this is for the both of you, not because I feel like he should know." Sonny picked up his phone and dialed Mike's number. "I want to keep him in my boys' life as much as possible, let him be there for him when he wasn't there for me or for you, but I can't erase my pain, Courtney. I just can't."  
  
"I'm not expecting you to forgive everything that happened in the blink of an eye, Sonny. Work at your own pace. If you want something bad enough, we both know that you'll eventually get it." Courtney watched and waited for Mike to pick up the phone.  
  
"Mike?" Sonny spoke into the phone. "Yeah, it's me. Listen, do you think you could come over? No, it's not something that I can tell you over the phone, I really should talk to you in person. Yeah, the sooner you get here, the better. Okay, see you in a bit." Sonny closed the phone and looked at his sister. "There, you happy?"  
  
"More than you could ever imagine."  
  
"You're easy to appease, you know that," Sonny commented.  
  
"When it comes to being your little sister, I've learned to take even the smallest victories against you in stride." Courtney smiled. "How long did he say it was going to be?"  
  
"He's on his way. What should I tell him?"  
  
"The truth," Courtney said simply. "Don't hide anything."  
  
"I never hide anything, Courtney," Sonny said. "Never."  
  
Courtney had a feeling he wasn't being honest. After all, he was hiding just how much he really did care for his father, even if he refused to believe it, she saw it.  
  
Later-  
  
They were both alone while they waited for Mike when there was a knock on the door. At Sonny's insistence, Courtney stayed. She wanted to give them the moment alone, but Sonny was afraid that he wouldn't tell Mike what he needed to hear if Courtney wasn't there. She was a moral anchor.  
  
The two looked at each other before Sonny got up and opened the door. He saw his father standing there. "Hey, Mike."  
  
Mike took a step in, "So, what's this big news that couldn't be told to me over the phone?"  
  
Sonny eyed Courtney, who only gave a slight nod of her head. Sonny turned to his father again. "Mike... Damian's been put in jail."  
  
"What?" Mike was as much astonished by the news as anyone before him had been. "Well, what are you doing standing around here? Get him out."  
  
Sonny shook his head, "It's not that simple. I've tried already, we can't just get him out of there like nothing. They want him to stay in there to get at me, and they're making sure that he does."  
  
"Who is doing this?" Mike asked. "Lansing?"  
  
"No, Ric's on our side."  
  
Mike chuckled, "Do you really believe that, Michael?"  
  
It was strange, the way that Sonny would let his father call him Michael. It was his birth name, much like his father's and his son's, but he had been Sonny for such a long time. The only other person who called him Michael was his mother. "I don't have much else to believe in. I don't know why I'm choosing to trust Ric, but I am. This operation is all Baldwin."  
  
"When did it happen?"  
  
"Last night," Sonny informed his father. "We were gone, out in the city for the night. We didn't think that anything was going to happen."  
  
"You couldn't have known," Mike didn't hold his son's actions, in that particular instance, against him.  
  
"I was here, dad," Courtney said. "I didn't want to let them take him away, but Damian said that I shouldn't try and keep them from doing their job. They had a warrant, we couldn't stop them."  
  
"I can't believe any of this is happening," Mike muttered. "How's he doing?"  
  
"He seems to be fine," Sonny said. "When I saw him last night he wasn't really acting like anything was bugging him."  
  
"Just because he acted like everything was fine doesn't mean that it was. He's a Corinthos male, we hide our emotions real well."  
  
Sonny turned away, "Yeah, I guess we do."  
  
"Almost as well as we are at making sure that we get what we want," Mike continued. "You'll get him out, Sonny. I have faith in you."  
  
"Thanks," Sonny poured himself a glass of water. "I'll need all the faith I can get if I'm going to do this right." 


	126. Visitation

Kayla- Sonny and Courtney do have a very interesting and compelling relationship. It's really the only one out of Sonny's direct family that is filled with more good than bad. That was why she had to be with him when he told Mike, Sonny would have just much rather not told his father anything.  
  
Story-  
  
A week had passed, with no change for anyone. At least not change in a good way. For some, the hope of getting Damian out of his imprisonment was dwindling at an alarming rate. They still held out hope in their hearts that something was going to happen that would help him, but while their hearts believed in such a miracle, their minds were beginning to tell them that there truly was very little that could be done.  
  
Damian and Sonny were not two of those people. Damian refused to stand by and think that he could slip under the justice system. He didn't want to believe that somehow, no matter how bad it looked, he would be tried for the murders of those despicable men that had died. Of course, he was well aware of the fact that his court date was fast approaching, and now the media had been made aware of his imprisonment. He hadn't seen the newspaper, nor had he watched the news reported, but Lucky had informed him that as much as Ric, Mac and he tried to keep everything under wraps they just couldn't stop Scott from coming out with the story after so long. Now, all of Port Charles was no doubt aware that Damian Zuniga was accursed of holding responsibility for what was being called 'The Seaside Slayings' by the press. If the citizens of Port Charles chose to believe that he was indeed the one that had something to do with it was entirely up to them alone, but he certainly hoped that they wouldn't believe such a thing. His medical career appeared to be in shambles, but he would start again if he had to. A thought had passed through his mind more than once about not even needing to go to school. His father was a millionaire, and would gladly provide for his firstborn son in an effort to make up for all the times that Sonny wasn't there for Damian when he was growing up. Of course, Damian did not want to see himself as something of 'Sonny Corinthos's son, the one who got everything and did nothing.' He was too proud and too stubborn to allow himself to be pampered by anyone, including his father. Perhaps a career in medicine was a fleeting dream. It was possible. There was no telling what the week away from school had done to his grades. Would they even accept him any longer?  
  
Sonny had made sure that Justus Ward, his attorney and one of the best available, was doing everything that he could to get his son out, even on bail. Sadly, with over half a dozen dead bodies that were falsely accredited to Damian through almost iron-clad evidence, there was no judge that would see past that, not even for any amount of money that Sonny could offer. Justus was alarmed that Sonny was adamant on making sure that everything was played by the books, as it was something that Sonny rarely, if ever, said and did. Sonny played things by his own rules, which were at times very malleable. Justus was good enough to win under just about any limitation, though. He knew he could do it. Much like everyone before him, seeing Damian, meeting him, spending time around him... Justus was quickly made a believer of his innocence.  
  
If there was anything at all that could be considered positive about the time that Damian had spent in jail it was the fact that Jason's leg was healing very well. He could walk on it with a very minimal amount of pain. It was still advised that he keep from doing anything too strenuous, but he no longer had to be coddled and handled like an old man, something that made Jason very happy, so happy that he even showed his delight in his own way. Jason hadn't come to see Damian yet, not that it was surprising. Although they were certainly much closer than they were originally, they still weren't exactly intimately bonded like Jason was with Michael and Morgan. Damian would always be the one that Jason felt less protective over, and that was fine for both of them. Michael and Morgan weren't old enough to take care of themselves yet, but Damian was. He didn't mind having 'Uncle Jason the Enforcer' watching over him from time to time, but he did value his freedom.  
  
Jason's lack of visiting didn't hurt Damian at all, but Maxie's did. He'd been in the jail for a week, and she hadn't even come to see him once. He couldn't blame her. Mac had said that she was trying to do as much volunteer work as they would let her. Damian understood that there was a part of her that just couldn't stand to deal with the cold reality of the situation. Still, he missed her. A lot.  
  
As he sat in the interrogation room once again he wondered who could possibly be visiting him. He had seen Justus, he had seen Sonny, he had seen Courtney. It wasn't unlikely that they would check up on him more than once, but he doubted that it could be them. He didn't like that they just told him that he had someone to see him and never gave him specifics.  
  
When the door creaked open, Damian waited. Whoever it was apparently decided that they would take their time. When the person finally poked through, he smiled. It was Maxie.  
  
She had tried to come and see him dozens of times over the week, but each time she came to the station she couldn't do it for herself. She couldn't stand to go in there and see her boyfriend, the man that she loved and the man that she knew was completely innocent, caged like a savage criminal. The only reason that she managed to come this time was because Georgie and Dillon were standing outside and making sure that she did in fact see him, because they knew that it was what Damian and Maxie both wanted. They fed off of each other in some odd way. They found their resolve increased when they spent time together. Maybe being together would make everything seem like it was going to be okay, even if it was just for a minute.  
  
It was the first time she had seem him dressed in the attire that was standard issue for prisons of the Port Charles police department. She'd seen people dressed in those outfits before, even people that she cared for, but it was never as bad as when she saw Damian sitting there. Everything about him seemed like it was wrong, because, to her, it was wrong.  
  
"Maxie..." Damian's voice was soft, like a murmur.  
  
She walked over and hugged him, placing her head on his shoulder and shaking with emotion. She could do this, she had to do this. She had already come as far as she did, it wouldn't be fair to him if she just left him there to be alone. She wouldn't want to do that to him. It would hurt him. He'd already been hurt enough. She never wanted to be the one that would hurt him. "I've missed you... so much."  
  
"I've always been here," Damian muttered.  
  
"I know," She pulled away, wiping away a tear. "I just... I couldn't bring myself to see you here until today. I still don't want to think about you here like you don't matter. Like you're some common criminal when I know that you're so much more. When I know that you're the greatest person on the planet."  
  
"You give me too much credit."  
  
"No," Maxie shook her head. "I don't, at least not in my eyes. Damian, I want you to get out of here so bad. I want to see you at Kelly's and know that you can be doing nothing, but at least know that you're happy. Is that so much to ask?"  
  
Damian grabbed her hand softly, "It's not, Maxie. But I don't know if I can give it to you."  
  
"You know you didn't do this!"  
  
"And you know I didn't do it as well," Damian told her. "That's enough for me, Maxie. You know that I can keep on going at least with the thought that you believed that I was innocent. The only thing that is getting me through this is the love of the people that I care about. Knowing that you and my father and everyone else feels in their hearts that I am innocent helps me so much."  
  
"Don't give up," Maxie begged. "Please, don't give up..."  
  
"I'd never give up."  
  
"Not on us, either. Right?" Maxie asked.  
  
"I'll love you forever, Maxie. You're always going to be the first person that I kissed, the first woman that I ever felt love for that wasn't a member of my family. No amount of time in prison or jail will take that away from us."  
  
"Why is it that you're so romantic even when you're in a jail?" Maxie wondered with a soft chuckle.  
  
"Must be in the genes," Damian stated. "But, I want you to do something for me."  
  
"What?"  
  
"If I never get out..."  
  
"You'll get out!" Maxie didn't like where the conversation was going already. How could he think that he would never get out of the situation that he was in?  
  
"I feel that I will get out as much as you do, Maxie. But... sometimes the innocent people get put into jail for doing something that they didn't. I wish that it didn't happen, and I certainly wish that it would never happen to me, but I can't be that blind and neither should you." Damian turned his brown eyes onto her blue eyes, "I want you to be happy. If you ever find someone... please, don't deny yourself something that could help you in the end just because of your love for me."  
  
"I could never find someone that meant as much to me as you!" Maxie said.  
  
"I don't want you clinging onto something that can never be, Maxie. If I am given this sentence, if I am found guilty, I may never get out into freedom again. I can't live with myself if I know that you're going to be alone forever. You deserve to have a family. You deserve to be the type of mother that you never got. Maxie, you're too sweet of a woman, you're too kind for men to not fall in love with you. Don't push people away for me." For the first time, Maxie saw Damian shed his veil of invulnerability, possibly reduced to the scared boy he was when his mother died almost a decade prior. "Please... don't."  
  
"They'll know," She said. "Whoever I find will know that you're the one... if they can't accept that then I would never be with them. Even if you do get sent to prison, I'll visit you as much as I can."  
  
"I'd like that."  
  
"And send you care packages," She added.  
  
"You spoil me," Damian smirked.  
  
Maxie, although she was feeling many emotions in her mind at the time, forced herself to try and be as happy as she could. She looked at her boyfriend. "You need to shave."  
  
It was true, he hadn't shaved since he got into the jail. "I'm sorry, I left my razor in one of the other pairs of pants I was wearing, they weren't in the one that I was wearing when I was taken away."  
  
"You could ask for some."  
  
"You don't like it?" Damian rubbed his stubble.  
  
"Nothing could look bad on you," Maxie kissed him.  
  
"I don't like to shave when there's a bunch of true criminals watching me, Maxie. They could take the razor and... I wouldn't be here anymore, regardless of if I got out or not."  
  
Maxie remembered her wedding day nightmare. She pulled away.  
  
Damian could tell that something was wrong. "What is it?"  
  
"I had a bad dream the night you were arrested. I didn't even know that you were in jail, not really, but I felt that something bad was going to happen. We were going to get married, it was our wedding, we were going to spend the rest of our lives together... but everything turned out so bad. The cops came to take you away and your family wouldn't let them, so people started firing. You died protecting me."  
  
Damian hugged her, "I'd give my life for you in a second. If nothing else, I had you in that dream as my wife... they were surely the best moments of my life."  
  
"You... said something like that before you died."  
  
"It doesn't matter what I said, Maxie. It wasn't real." Damian put her hands in front of her face and cupped his hands around them. "This is real. The love I feel for you right now, the feel of our hands together... it's as real as it gets, and it is one of the only things that matters to me in this world. More than getting out of here, just going on knowing that I fell in love at least once." 


	127. Sidelines

Kayla- I'm amused and honored that you think they're cute, especially considering that there is no basis for Damian's character outside of what I have done in the story. At least it shows me that people like him, which is always a concern of writers who put original characters in established continuity, regardless of what show/book/movie it is. Damian would want Maxie to be happy even without him, not deny herself something that she wanted for him, that's why he asked her to do that for him.  
  
Stacey- Many thanks for the praise. I'm also glad that you like Damian as much as you do. I think he is tolerable because he's not perfect, people might view him as such but he knows his varied flaws and so do the readers through his semi-narratives. Yes, the jail plot is beginning to grate on me as well, but fear not, I have actually written the end of it. I did a count of how many chapters it will take from this post and it will be cleared in 4 days when I will get to something else. Hopefully the end will make people happy, if not... well, darn.  
  
Story-  
  
Elsewhere in the Port Charles Police Department-  
  
Scott knew that Maxie was there. He had seen her, Georgie, and Dillon come into the station from outside. He had nothing against Maxie and Georgie, they were good kids. Dillon was debatable, since he was a Quatermaine which made him less than trustworthy by default. It was while he was watching the three teenagers walk into the station that he saw Maxie's face. She looked extremely melancholy. Scott could tell that it was because of what was happening to her boyfriend. He didn't blame her. After all, it was only natural to feel sad when someone that you loved was in trouble or in danger. Did she know that he was innocent? Scott was almost certain that she did. After all, he knew that Damian was innocent and he would have known even if he wasn't the one that set everything up. All of Maxie's emotional pain was being caused by him, and she didn't deserve to be put through that.  
  
Scott picked up his phone and dialed Lorenzo's number. Lorenzo picked it up after a few rings. "You were instructed not to call this number, especially from the line that you are on."  
  
"I can't do this..." Scott said.  
  
"Don't get cold feet on me now, Mister District Attorney," Lorenzo said calmly. "Need I remind you what's at stake?"  
  
"I'm hurting so many people..." Scott thought back to Maxie's face. He thought back to how Bobbie looked when she visited him the week before. "I'm hurting people that I care about, Alcazar. No amount of money can make up for the pain that I've caused them."  
  
"You're notorious for having no conscience at all, Baldwin," Lorenzo stated. "How did you get that reputation? Surely I had nothing to do with it, I wasn't even in Port Charles while you worked your way into power by any means necessary. You've gone this far without feeling anything at all in terms of guilt for your actions. Do not start now."  
  
"But..."  
  
"Remember what I told you about failure," Lorenzo's voice was harsh. "I will not tolerate anything but success in this operation. Damian Zuniga must be placed in prison for those murders."  
  
"Why is it so important to you? What did the kid ever do to you? When I look at him, I don't see a single bone in his body that is capable of doing anything painful."  
  
"You're not looking hard enough," Lorenzo commented. "Get the job done or I'll make sure that you never do anything again. You won't be around long enough to be productive if you mess this project up." Lorenzo ended the call and thought about his reasons. Scott was wrong, Damian could hurt people. He hurt Carly. He put her through emotional hell with his arrival. He wasn't going anywhere by choice, and that only put Carly under more stress, more pain. Lorenzo wouldn't stand by and let anyone hurt the woman that he loved. For that reason alone, Damian had to go.  
  
Scott looked at the dead phone before hanging it up and leaning back. He looked over a picture of Serena. His pride and joy. Karen was already gone, taken from him before he got a good chance to spend some time with his daughter. Lorenzo wasn't involved with that in any way, but if Scott failed he knew that Alcazar would likely do something to his other daughter, if not something to him. Scott could stand dying if he protected Serena, but he couldn't stand around and let anyone hurt his daughter. Because of that, to protect his own child, he had to go through with the plan. Even if it meant hurting people that he did care about.  
  
Georgie and Dillon stood around the station while Maxie spent time with her boyfriend. Occasionally they would look at each other and force a smile as a means of comforting one another, but those moments were fleeting at best. Georgie was focused on making sure that her sister survived what she was going through. She couldn't stand to lose Maxie. On some levels she was closer to Maxie than she was with Dillon. They could talk about a lot of things, they could share the familiar stories of their past. There was no doubt that she loved her sister, even when she was been driven crazy by Maxie's immature antics. Those were a thing of the past, though, and she knew that Maxie's change in drive and attitude had at the very least something to do with her relationship with Damian. He was good for her, she knew that now. Georgie liked Damian a lot. She knew that he and Dillon were becoming fast friends, which made her feel good as well. Dillon didn't have very many people outside of her and Maxie that he could really consider friends. Having Damian around made it so that he could at least have that fellow male companion to talk about. They wouldn't do something stupid like talk about who was better in bed. They were far too kind for that, which was something that she liked as well. Georgie was all too aware of the fact that those moments might be a thing of the past. Damian could be going away for a long time. She had to worry about the pain that it would cause not only her sister but her boyfriend as well. She put her lip nervously, hoping that everything would be okay.  
  
Dillon looked around the station, not trying to be obvious. A quick glance here and there. He didn't think that the PCPD would be stupid enough to let anything incriminating be seen by a teenager just handing around loosely, but stranger things had happened in the building. He had thought about visiting Damian as well, but if his family found out that he was spending time hanging around a 'convicted' felon, then they would disown him in a second. He still hadn't told them about his spur of the moment conversation with Jason. They knew that he hung around Damian and when they found out that he had been arrested he was all but forbidden to spend any time around him. Edward was constantly saying that it was only a matter of time before Damian went into the same actions that Sonny Corinthos made his life doing, and even sooner when little Michael would find his way towards crime as well. No one wanted to believe that Damian was innocent, no one except Dillon. It was always that way, though. None of the Quatermaine's were very accepting of his relationship with Georgie, but he didn't care what his family felt when it came to the love of his life.  
  
One of the men on duty looked at Dillon, who was eyeing around still. Dillon saw that he was being glared at and he turned his head towards Georgie, who, at that exact moment, looked up at him. They both laughed uneasily.  
  
"Tension's so thick in here you could cut it like a knife," Dillon observed.  
  
"What do you expect?" Georgie asked. "It's a jailhouse. Criminals are here."  
  
"And people who aren't criminals are treated like they are," Dillon mused sadly.  
  
"Yeah," Georgie agreed. "I can't believe she didn't tell me when she found out. I can't believe you didn't tell me when you found out."  
  
"I did," Dillon said. "I just went to see Jason first."  
  
"You talked to your cousin, who really couldn't care less about you to be honest, before you talked to me about this, Dillon!"  
  
"Jason has experience in these things, Georgie," Dillon pointed out. "Besides, Jason cares about Damian."  
  
"And I don't? He's my sister's boyfriend!"  
  
"Can we not fight?" Dillon asked. "I hate it when we fight, and I know that we shouldn't be fighting right now, we should be making sure that nothing bad happens to anyone around us."  
  
Georgie nodded, "I hate it when we fight, too. I'm just on edge, I guess."  
  
"Georgie?"  
  
Georgie turned around, "Lucky! Hi!"  
  
Lucky smiled, "Are you here to see your father?"  
  
"No," Georgie frowned, she wished it was that simple. "I'm here with Dillon and Maxie."  
  
Lucky saw Dillon, but he didn't see Maxie. It didn't take a genius to realize where she was. "She finally came to visit him?" Lucky had wondered why Maxie wasn't around more often.  
  
"She couldn't do it before today," Georgie said. "She tried. She said that she tried so many times, but she just couldn't bring herself to think about him like he was a criminal."  
  
"Because he's not." Lucky said.  
  
"Nice to know someone in here realizes that," Dillon muttered.  
  
"We're doing everything we can to get him out of here, Dillon," Lucky said. "But it's not as easy as it looks in the movies. Clues just don't fall down from the sky and tell us something we need to know."  
  
Dillon sighed, "I know, Lucky. Sorry."  
  
"You think she's doing okay in there?" Lucky wondered. He would always be concerned about Maxie. Since she had a crush on him when she was much younger he began to look at her like a little sister, the same with Georgie. He'd protect them if he could.  
  
"He wouldn't hurt her," Georgie said.  
  
"I never thought that he would," Lucky stared at the cold door. "I just can't help but think that she's going through hell right now."  
  
"She is," Georgie said. "She cries herself to sleep every night. She doesn't think that I know, but I do. I want to be there for her, but she'll just shut herself in and not talk to me if I try and force myself on her. She's done it before. I have to watch her and make it seem like I'm not watching her. It's hard on me."  
  
"I could help you watch her," Dillon said, putting a hand on Georgie's shoulder.  
  
"Mac still won't let you stay over," Georgie dryly commented. "Just because he doesn't threaten to arrest you every time we're together anymore doesn't mean he's going to let us have sleepovers."  
  
"It wasn't like I had my bags packed or anything, Georgie," Dillon said. "I was just offering my help."  
  
"If you see her acting strange, tell me," Georgie requested. "But she's actually appearing to do a lot better than I thought she would be."  
  
"Maxie's stronger than we give her credit for," Lucky said. "I guess everyone's just so used to sheltering her."  
  
At that moment, Maxie opened the door and came out of the interrogation room. It was easy to tell that she had been crying, but she didn't look distraught. In fact, she looked rather content.  
  
Georgie walked up first, ever the protective sister. "You okay?"  
  
Maxie nodded, "He'll get out. I believe that he'll get out."  
  
"We all do," Georgie agreed. Dillon and Lucky nodded their heads in agreement. "No doubt in any of our minds that he's going to find a way to beat this." 


	128. Baby Steps

Joy- Yup, a scene with the dysfunctional father/son pairing. It was good that they got a fleeting moment in this story, since the show almost never gives them that moment. There was the one time after the fire, but that was seriously it. Mike favors Courtney, but I would, too, honestly if I were their father. Yeah, I know it seems like a long time, and that really is my fault. Like I said before, I played this plot out too long for my tastes, but I had stuff that needed to be done. Glad that I'm past it in the writing part, though, since I can now get to a part that I've wanted to write from the start.  
  
I can't say that I would wait as long as Maxie did if someone that I cared about was in jail, I'd probably be there really quickly, but Maxie's got a case of being unable to accept things right away, so it made more sense for her to wait. Even though it is unlikely that Damian would in fact go away, they would have to put that into the light. Being the realist that he is, Damian would want Maxie to find something or someone to make her happy if and when it happened. I hope I don't let you, the readers, down with everything I've put the couple through. Poor kids, I'm just mean.  
  
Story-  
  
Port Charles Docks, Later That Night-  
  
Ric walked up to the docks, unaware that his brother was there as well. When he saw Sonny standing over the dock, he thought of two things. One was that he could have pushed Sonny over and kept him submerged until his death, which was actually his first thought, the other was that he should have just walked away. Ric Lansing did neither of them, he just stood there, as if he was frozen in time.  
  
Sonny, on the other hand, had gotten good at feeling the particular glare of his little brother. "You going to say something to me, Ric?"  
  
"Coming back to the scene of the crime?" Ric asked.  
  
"Maybe, what's it to you?"  
  
"I would think that you would try and take steps to prevent your son from being sent to prison, Sonny. If Damian were my son, I wouldn't rest until I knew that justice was served."  
  
Sonny turned around, "That's where you're always going to be dreaming, Ric. Damian isn't ever going to be your son. He's my blood."  
  
"Which makes him my blood as well," Ric took a few steps forward. "You seem to try and forget that part of our past, Sonny. The part that can never be denied. We were both pushed out of our mother. No matter what, Adella's blood runs through both of us."  
  
"It's the only reason that you're still alive," Sonny said. "If you weren't my half-brother, if I didn't think that killing you would possibly taint the memory of my mother, you would have been dead long before you had the chance to kidnap my wife."  
  
"Would it have made you happier?" Ric asked.  
  
"More than you could ever imagine," Sonny told him. "If you were dead, Ric, so many things would be different. I wouldn't have spent months trying to find my wife. Michael wouldn't be traumatized to this day with the memories of seeing you take his mother. Jason and Courtney would have their own child right now because we would have never had to go to Argentina looking for her. Life would have been better."  
  
"Your son would have been dead if you killed me before, Sonny," Ric stated firmly. "Damian would have been killed by Faith Rosco before he even started calling you 'dad.' Think about that before you brush me off as expendable."  
  
"I would have found a way..."  
  
"How, Sonny?" Ric shook his head. "You had no clue what was going on, because you didn't want to pay attention to your son at that time. Or, rather, he didn't want to pay attention to you because he saw you for what you really are, a twisted, pitiful shame. You used everything that went wrong in your life and did the exact same thing, trying to make it seem like it was justification for all the death that happened in your wake. You know what, Sonny? No matter what happens, you're never going to find a way to make it seem like every single person that has died for you or because of you happened for a reason."  
  
"Is this how it's always going to be with us?" Sonny asked. "We always going to be at each other's throats, no matter what?"  
  
"I have tried plenty of times to bury the hatchet with you, Sonny. You know that."  
  
"I don't trust you." Sonny thought back, "Not anymore. I've got no reason to trust you now that you've betrayed me."  
  
"I won't justify my actions to you or to anyone else, because they can't be justified. I've done a lot of horrible things in my life, but you can't claim that you haven't done the same. At least I'm trying to do the right thing by helping people in this town. What do you do? You put them at risk with your constant mob battles. You leave me to pick up the pieces and put innocent men, women, and sometimes even children in body bags. How does that make you feel?"  
  
"There are always going to be unfortunate casualties in life."  
  
"There you go again, trying to say something, anything, to make it seem like something you did is okay. Stop fooling yourself, Sonny. You're never going to win."  
  
Sonny walked away, not saying a word. He had been there for a reason. The docks were the first place that he had met Damian, when he didn't even know that he had a son that managed to slip away from him. It was where everything had started, and could have been where everything ended. Ric was right, nothing that he could have said or did would justify what happened to his boy. Sonny could fix just about everything. He couldn't fix that, though.  
  
Ric watched his brother leave, he didn't want to chase after him. He had said what he wanted to say. Ric would have made a better father... he felt that in his heart. He could give up everything that he did in the past to secure a future for his children. Sonny couldn't even get out of the mob after he shot his wife in the head, though he tried. Ric was sad on some level. Nothing would ever be good between them. They would never have a brotherly bond, not even for a moment. On some level that was the one thing that Ric craved. He remembered growing up and seeing people around him, brothers, sharing laughs and supporting each other when they needed it. It pained Ric to know that he had a brother, but he would never have that. Even though he wanted it, he knew it would never happen.  
  
"Ric?"  
  
Ric turned around, "Elizabeth?"  
  
Elizabeth had come from her job and saw the brothers engaging in another squabble. She had opted to stay low and listen. The one reason that she had pulled away from Ric the first time was because his hatred of his brother had made him a different person from the man that she met and fell in love with. She had seen that part of him too many times, but she didn't see it then. All she saw at that moment was someone who was hurt. "Are you okay?"  
  
"I'll be fine," Ric said softly.  
  
Elizabeth walked up, "You're a good liar, Ric, but sometimes even you can't be that good."  
  
"You can see through me at times, can't you?" Ric asked.  
  
"Only sometimes," Elizabeth said. "When you've started to show that you're a human being with feelings, not when you're the monster that you can be."  
  
"You don't think I'm a monster right now?" Ric took a seat on the bench.  
  
"No, I don't," Elizabeth sat down right next to him. "I think that you're hurt because of your past with Sonny."  
  
"You're right, I am."  
  
"I think I can help you," She grabbed his hand.  
  
"How?"  
  
Elizabeth kissed him on the lips, a soft brush that Ric didn't even think was coming. She pulled away, "That work?"  
  
"It's a start."  
  
"Ric... I need to tell you something."  
  
Ric stopped trying to go in for another kiss. "What?"  
  
"Even though I've tried to tell myself differently at times, I can't get over the fact that I still love you. On some level, I never stopped. I was able to fool myself for a little while, but in the end I realized that no matter what, you're always going to be the one for me."  
  
Ric smiled, "There was never anyone for me but you, Elizabeth. You've known that from the beginning."  
  
"Can we try again?"  
  
"Do you want to try again?"  
  
"I'm asking you, aren't I?"  
  
He turned, "But are you asking me out of pity, Elizabeth? I can handle not being the one that you love, but I can't handle being someone that you pretend to love but really pity. Are you trying to make me feel better in my brief moment of vulnerability?"  
  
"I would never do that to you," Elizabeth grabbed him. "I see how hurt you are by the relationship that you have with your brother. My sister and I aren't exactly the closest people on the planet, either, but we've managed to become at least civil with one another. I'm not saying that it will happen with you and Sonny, but I'm also not saying it can't happen. If you try hard enough... I'm sure you can find something that will bring the two of you together. You just have to look."  
  
"We've got a commonality already," Ric said. "Damian... no matter what our pasts, he accepts us both as his family because we come from his grandmother. Sonny and I know we're brothers, but we may never look at each other like we are. We will always look at Damian as a member of our family, though."  
  
"That could be something that you could use... you never know. I'm sure he'd like it if the two of you were somehow able to mend your differences. It must have been awkward for him, seeing the two of you at one another's throats every single time you were in the room together."  
  
"When Sonny and I are around one another, we both lose focus," Ric admitted, much to his dismay. "The two of us can never get along. We can never forget the past. But, as long as I have you in my future, Elizabeth, it doesn't matter what my past is. It doesn't matter what I've done if you can love me."  
  
"I want to believe that I can," Elizabeth wrapped herself around him. "More than anything, I want us to be happy again, like we were at first."  
  
"I won't lose that again, not now, not ever." Ric looked into her eyes and kissed her. This time it was longer, but it was still as important to him as the brief brush he had a moment ago. "But... as much as I hate to do this..."  
  
"You've got to get back to work, don't you?" Elizabeth knew that Ric's work would take up a part of his time, if not all of it. She also accepted that, since she knew how important his job was the ADA was to him.  
  
"I'm sorry... but the longer I wait to clear Damian the less of a chance he has."  
  
"You're right," She said. "We shouldn't try to put ourselves in front of an innocent kid. Go, honey. I'll be at my apartment."  
  
"Wouldn't you rather go back to the house? I could give you the key."  
  
Elizabeth shook her head, "One step at a time."  
  
"Of course," Ric walked towards the Police Station. One step at a time. 


	129. Figuring the Odds

Stacey- As per your request... Damian returns in this chapter. Okay, no, it wasn't because you asked, but he did just happen to show up after you missed him. Fancy that. Everything is slowly coming to a head, and you shall see how everything gets wrapped up really soon. As for the brothers... they're not entirely done with everything that they're going to be going through, but for them to just start holding hands and hugging... well, that'd be too much, wouldn't it? Hopefully I can develop something, if not, it was just not meant to be.  
  
Story-  
  
Port Charles Police Department-  
  
Lucky and Mac were both at the station at the same time. Not unusual given that Mac was the Commissioner and Lucky was one of his officers, but they had spent more than a sizable amount of time being apart from one another, not that being apart was unusual either. They also weren't alone, there were many of the other on and off duty officers that roamed about. The important thing about being together, however, was that Scott Baldwin had retired for the night. They could talk, somewhat more freely, about their alliance without the looming eyes and ears of Baldwin.  
  
But, even with that safety net, there was something else on their minds. Lucky took a sip from his coffee, "You know Maxie came to see him today, right?"  
  
"I had an idea," Mac said. He knew that his daughter struggled almost daily to see her boyfriend. It was painful for him to think about it, because he wanted her to be happy, but she wasn't. That was partly his fault, because he couldn't protect his daughter's happiness. He was doing everything he could to make up for that mistake, though. "She wanted me to stay away from the station for the afternoon, it was a pretty big hint."  
  
"I'm surprised you listened."  
  
"What?"  
  
Lucky elaborated, "You were always in their relationship before. I wouldn't think that it was something you could just turn off at her request."  
  
"I wouldn't, if I thought he was a threat," Mac said. "But I don't think that anymore."  
  
"Hard to believe we ever did..."  
  
Mac gave his agreement with a slight nod, "We spent so much time attributing Sonny's lifestyle and choices to his son that we blinded ourselves to seeing who he really was. At least he doesn't hold it against us."  
  
"Not like he didn't do the same with his father when he first got here," Lucky said.  
  
"Where's he at, anyway?" Mac asked, the obvious hint was that he was asking about Damian.  
  
Lucky understood who Mac was talking about, "In Room 1 with Justus Ward."  
  
Interrogation Room 1-  
  
Damian, for yet another time in such a short span, was sitting in the chair across from someone. However, this person held very little personal interest with him. It wasn't like he disliked Justus, he just hadn't met Justus before his time in jail and when Justus was in the room with Damian he was all business. It was easy to see how he and Jason were related, even though they were entirely different in terms of ethnicity, or at least half- different. Damian had no problem being around such people, Los Angeles had plenty of mixed ethnicities. Damian himself was of mixed blood. He never thought he was full Hispanic, but since he met his father and more specifically his grandfather he knew otherwise. "Did my dad send you to check up on me again, Mr. Ward?"  
  
"Sonny doesn't like it when people disobey his orders. Besides, I charge him enough to make it so that my time is worth it," Justus gave a wry smile. It was the first time Damian had seen Justus act like something more than an attorney. Hopefully Justus was a damned good one. Of course, if his father hired someone then that person had to be one of the best.  
  
"Well, as you can see, I'm perfectly healthy," Damian put his arms out. "Nobody's been harassing me or making my stay here very uncomfortable."  
  
"You should consider yourself fortunate," Justus said. "The prisoners here don't take kindly to people of your age being around them, and since your relation to Sonny isn't exactly something that is deeply hidden it only makes you a bigger target."  
  
"I think I can handle it."  
  
"I do as well," Justus admitted. "But, neither of us are your father."  
  
"So I constantly have to remind myself," Damian sighed. "Do you think that you can get me out?"  
  
"I do."  
  
"What are the odds?"  
  
Justus, without missing a beat, gave his answer, "Considerable."  
  
"You're not just saying that, are you?" Damian inquired. He knew, as did most people who had lived through the OJ trial, that lawyers could be quite the liars. Damian, much like his father, did not tolerate lying very much. It didn't make much sense on Sonny's part, since he lived his life on several lies, especially when it came to being the father of his children. Damian wasn't in any position to call him on it, though. Being in jail really does cripple a person's credibility. Martin Luther King Jr. managed to get away with it, but he wasn't exactly a regular person, he was something far more, far better.  
  
"Your father doesn't pay me to give you false hope, Damian. He pays me to get results."  
  
"Which you can do."  
  
"If I can make it proof that the evidence that is being used to hold you in here is fabricated, yes, I can get results."  
  
"But if you can't?" Damian asked. "I mean, is that the only thing that you can do to clear me?"  
  
"There are other avenues... but I'd rather not take them since they require a bit more preparation and work."  
  
"They're all legal, I hope."  
  
Justus snickered, "I work for the legal system, would I ever break that?" He would, but Damian didn't know about that dark episode of Justus's past, the part that involved someone who just happened to share Sonny's oldest child's name. It was hard at first, thinking about the name and not making the connection between the two. But, after a brief period of time it was obvious that Damian Smith and Damian Zuniga were two completely different people. He could defend Damian Zuniga. He would defend Damian Zuniga.  
  
"I just find the lines of my father's... associates blurred very easily," Damian's voice was as apologetic as he could make it. "I'm sorry, Mr. Ward."  
  
Justus didn't see anything that Damian said that was offensive to him, "Don't call me 'Mr. Ward,' Damian. You can call me Justus."  
  
"Again..."  
  
"Don't apologize," Justus cut him off. "You're too apologetic when you don't need to be. I'm sure that it's an enduring quality to some, but in this town it's only going to get you hurt and used. Trust me, the nice ones are always the ones that get swallowed up the fastest."  
  
"Are you trying to scare me?" Damian knew that there were many perils of Port Charles. He'd have to contend with evil blondes who followed him across the country to kill him or kidnap him.  
  
"Merely make you aware of the facts that you may not be ready to accept."  
  
"I've been here long enough to see how this place works, Justus. I'm aware that there is an underlining life that I have no choice but to be involved with. It scares me, but nothing scares me as much as being stuck in a prison cell for the rest of my life without a chance to see the people that I care about and live my life."  
  
"I won't stand idly by and let you get thrown in prison for something that you didn't do." Justus went for the door, "I'm working as hard as I can."  
  
"I don't doubt that you're doing everything in your power, Justus, and I appreciate it more than you could imagine."  
  
"I only wish that people like you didn't need to have people like me around," Justus said softly. "The world is never going to be kind to those of you who try and make it a better place by being as honest as possible."  
  
"I know," Damian tossed his head back. "I was always aware of it, but never more than now."  
  
"Stay as positive as you can, we're going to get you out of this." Justus walked out, not giving Damian time to say another word.  
  
Mac and Lucky were still outside, they saw Justus. The lawyer walked over to the two. Lucky tossed his cup in the garbage, "They always hire the best."  
  
"With the prices that I charge, I can't help but be the best," Justus coyly countered. "Have there been any leads on your side?" He had been made aware of the work that Lucky, Mac and Ric were doing. Much like everyone else, Justus wasn't entirely sure how much he could trust Ric's attempts at helping someone, especially a family member, but he wasn't going to take any action unless he knew that the ADA wasn't doing something beneficial.  
  
Mac knew that there was nothing worth reporting, but he wouldn't lie to Justus, "We're still coming up with nothing. We're also running out of time."  
  
"I can get him off if this goes to court, but we're trying to prevent that. The damage it could do to his image... Sonny doesn't want his son's career put into any more danger than it already is with the arrest." Justus looked around, "Where's Lansing?"  
  
"He walked past us, probably went to his office for something," Mac said.  
  
Scott Baldwin's Office-  
  
Ric wasn't going into his office. On the contrary, he was going to check on the office of the man that had orchestrated everything that had happened to Damian. He had to do some work to get the door open, but he managed to make it look like it was never forced open. Ric had plenty of skills outside of the practice of law. He checked under Scott's desk and found a small recording device that he had implanted. It was set up to have a days worth of time on it, a full 24 hour day so that every night Ric could check and replace the tape. Scott wasn't aware of the plan, at least to his knowledge.  
  
Ric picked up the recorder and fast-forwarded through the downtime. Since the tape was a full day tape, there was a huge amount of downtime. However, if there was something, anything that could be used to help Damian, it was worth it. As he listened to Scott talk about the banal things that he always did talk about he finally found something that he could use. The name. Alcazar.  
  
Ric walked out, closed the door, and trotted outside to where the others were meeting. "You need to listen to this... all of you." Ric held out the recorder. 


	130. Ideas Forming

Kayla- We all want the people to be happy, alas, such things are never likely in Port Charles, nor is the chance of Damian getting a break. Sad, but true.  
  
Story-  
  
As the tape played the conversation between Scott Baldwin and Lorenzo Alcazar, one thing was made very apparent: The operation was a set-up. Of course, they had all known that even before the evidence was found, but hearing Scott's voice, hearing Alcazar's name, it all made everything make sense.  
  
"I want my client released, now," Justus ordered.  
  
"Hold on a second, Justus," Ric said.  
  
Justus shook his head, "I should have known that you, of all people, would want to keep him in even after he'd been found innocent. You almost had people believing that you could do something that would benefit everyone involved, Ric. Too bad you blew it."  
  
"Would you just listen to me for a second instead of jumping to unfounded conclusions?" Ric hated that he was being second guessed. It wasn't unexpected, though. And, if Justus was doing it, odds were high that Lucky and Mac were feeling the exact same way. One look at their faces showed that he was right. Everyone was second guessing him. He wanted to help, and he was going to do it regardless of how any of them felt. The only ones that mattered were the people that cared about him, and one of them was the person in question. They were silent, which meant that they were at least willing to give him a minute. "We can't just let him go. If Scott comes into the office tomorrow morning and sees that Damian is gone he's going to know that we realized what was going on." Ric gave his statement a moment to sink in before he continued, "If we keep Damian here until sometime tomorrow we can pressure Baldwin into admitting everything."  
  
"We've got all the proof we need," Lucky said.  
  
"Don't you want to see Baldwin crack under the pressure?" Ric asked. "Wouldn't it make it even more compelling for Damian's case if it was made public that the District Attorney in fact couldn't go through with his plan because he was so wracked with grief over his choices?"  
  
"You're saying that we should let Damian stay in here for one more night just so he can look better?" Mac rolled his eyes. "That's..."  
  
"Actually a pretty good idea," Justus cut Mac off. "He's right, as much as I hate to admit it. The easiest way to clear Damian and keep the doubt of what happened off of him is to show that he was nothing but the victim. It would be extremely easy to show that if Baldwin were to, as Ric put it, crack under the pressure."  
  
"See?" Ric was almost bragging.  
  
"However," Justus again spoke, "I will not allow this to go into action unless I have the consent of various parties."  
  
"You're going to call Sonny, aren't you?" Ric wondered. "Why bother? Damian's an adult, he's capable of making his own decisions without having to have input from his father."  
  
"Unlike you, Damian actually values his father's opinion," Justus grinned. "I'll be right back." Justus walked outside.  
  
Mac looked at Ric, "You know, as much as I don't want to admit it as well, maybe you're actually capable of doing something nice for someone other than Elizabeth for a change."  
  
"I protect the people that I care about," Ric countered. "The same as you would do for your daughters and friends. Don't ever question my moral integrity when it comes to those that I actually value in my life."  
  
"You sure you don't stand to have something in this little operation for yourself?" Lucky had dealt with or knew of the shady methods that Ric took in just about everything he did. He knew that there was probably something that Ric looked at getting through everything in the operation. He just didn't know what yet.  
  
"A member of my family is going to get acquitted of everything that he's being accused of, none of which he did." Ric still didn't like the fact that everyone was constantly second guessing him, although he wasn't surprised that they were. He didn't give them any reason at all to trust him. He wanted to change that, but he might not ever be able to. If he couldn't, it was his own fault. He'd made too many mistakes in his past. "Lucky, I'm sure that you can relate to how much you would want that. Isn't that the entire reason why you're here?"  
  
Lucky couldn't refute that, because it was pure truth. He wasn't going to let Ric off the hook that easily, though. He had hurt Elizabeth too many times in the past. While she may have been able to forgive him for his past mistakes, Lucky wasn't nearly as forgiving.  
  
Ric, on the other hand, knew that he had won a victory against Lucky. A small one, but important nonetheless. Elizabeth still looked to him for support, even though they were no longer together. At least, unlike with Ric himself, the two of them managed to stay friends after their relationship had ended. But, unlike Lucky, Ric was getting a second chance. A second chance that he didn't deserve but was very thankful for regardless.  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
Sonny was looking through the paperwork that he had been given. Everything seemed to be in order in regards to his professional life. His personal life, however, was in shambles. That was how it often went in the life of Sonny Corinthos. It wasn't fair, but it was something that Sonny had gotten used to in his years of life. There had never been a time in his life that he could remember where he could say that everything was perfect. There was always something looming over him. It was his fate. Even with the love of the people in his life he'd still have that darkness that surrounded him. The darkness that would never go away no matter how hard he tried. He was lucky to have the people that he did have, and very thankful as well.  
  
Jason was there as well, overjoyed that he could actually walk around without getting severe jolts of pain. The occasional sting happened every now and then, but overall it was a vast improvement. Of course, he still couldn't go out onto the field again, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. "Everything okay with the shipment?"  
  
"Provided that we don't have some random person from my past coming up and trying to make a name for themselves again?" Sonny said, somewhat rhetorically. "Yeah, everything's in order."  
  
"Sonny, you couldn't have known that Asp was going to sabotage that order."  
  
"I should have known," Sonny said, more to himself than to his best friend. "I shouldn't have been caught so blind."  
  
"One thing that's been hammered into me since that night, Sonny, is something that can be applied to you as well. You're not Superman. You can't do everything and anything to protect everyone, no matter how much you want to think otherwise." Jason never thought that he'd ever use that particular statement in his life, but if it worked he wasn't going to fight it.  
  
"I don't need to hear something like that from you right now, Jason," Sonny stated, his temper flaring slightly. The phone rang. Sonny picked it up, "What?"  
  
"Sonny?" Justus was on the other line, outside of the Police Station.  
  
"Yeah, Justus? Sorry," Sonny apologized for his behavior. "What is it?"  
  
Justus heard some static on the other end of the line, but it cleared up quickly so he paid it no mind. "We got him out."  
  
"Bring him home, then," Sonny said, a moment of relief washing over him.  
  
"Well, there's been a proposal made."  
  
"Who made it?"  
  
Justus was quiet for a moment. He answered with a certain level of animosity, "Ric."  
  
"Any offer that is made by Ric is not worth anything, Justus. I would have expected you to do that."  
  
"The offer is appealing, Sonny. It calls for Damian to stay in the cell for another day, just until tomorrow morning when Baldwin comes in. Since we have the evidence that is needed to get Damian off the hook we can do it regardless, but it would make it easier for the public to swallow if it was made apparent that Baldwin was the one specifically that was pulling the strings with Alcazar."  
  
"Alcazar?" Sonny's voice seethed with anger. "What does that freak have to do with anything?"  
  
"They were working together, Sonny," Justus said. "Baldwin and Alcazar were working together against your son."  
  
"I'll kill him," Sonny felt the hatred that had never really gone away flare up again.  
  
"No, Sonny, not today." Justus said. "You can't put Damian in any sort of scrutiny. How would it look if someone that you have a well known hatred for ended up dead the day before your son got let out?"  
  
"Fine... he stays alive. For now."  
  
"What do you want me to do?" Justus asked. "I told them that I would have to converse with you, as his father and the one who is fronting my legal fees."  
  
"What do you think should be done, Justus?" Sonny inquired. He was a smart man, but he didn't understand every single aspect of the law like Justus did.  
  
"I think it's a good idea, despite who it is coming from. Ric may be a bastard, but every now and then he's got something up his sleeve that can benefit more people than just himself. This is one of those cases."  
  
"I don't want Damian staying in there..."  
  
"It's one more night, Sonny. He's already been in there for over a week. Nothing is going to happen to him between tonight and tomorrow morning."  
  
"You're damn right nothing is going to happen," Sonny already formulated something in his head. "I'm going to have people watching that building all night long until my son is able to walk out of there without worrying about anything happening to him."  
  
"I'm assuming you don't want Ric, Lucky and Mac to be in on that particular operation."  
  
"You know me too well..."  
  
"Comes with the territory," Justus replied. "So, I will give them our acceptance of this plan."  
  
"This had better work, Justus."  
  
"I have a feeling it will," Justus ended the call, the static returning. "Bad reception," He mumbled before walking back into the police station.  
  
The three saw him come in. He walked over, "Do what needs to be done, Ric, but don't mess it up." 


	131. Changing of the Guard

Note: As promised... well, read and find out.  
  
Story-  
  
The Next Morning-  
  
Ric had no intentions of messing up the plan. There were plenty of reasons that he needed everything to follow his plot to the letter. It made for almost no margin of error. Ric could benefit from the plan that he had formulated in his head in more than one way. First, he would get his nephew out, an act that would not only make himself happy, it would also help him in his ongoing battle to regain Elizabeth fully. Although she admitted that she still loved him and that she wanted to try again Ric could still push her away just as easily as he had done before. Ric couldn't turn off the impulses that he had which often pushed the love of his life away from him, much as he would try. He could barely suppress them, but he wanted to try as hard as he could with Elizabeth again. He wanted to be happy and he wanted to be happy with her one more time.  
  
Second, it would mean that Sonny would owe him a favor, another favor. Sonny already owed him for saving Damian's life with the bit of information that was given to Sonny by Ric when Faith wanted to use the boy against his father. Although he had never called in the favor that Sonny owed him at that time it did not mean that Ric would never call it in. In fact, he could think of the best times for him to call up an old favor. Sonny wouldn't be able to refuse. Sonny was, after all, a man who always paid his debts, since he hated owing anyone anything. If Ric could get another favor in his favor then it would just mean that he would have more sway over Sonny. And, maybe, just maybe, it could be something that would be the start of a mending between the two very estranged brothers.  
  
The third reason that the plan had to be executed to its fullest was best if Scott Baldwin were to leave his office, which Ric intended on making Scott do, he would be named the District Attorney of Port Charles. He would be the one with the most charge in the law system, which he could use in his favor at any time, regardless of his own standing in the law. The kidnappings of Carly and Courtney would mean nothing if he were in the drivers seat. But Ric wasn't all about lusting for power, he wanted to help people on some level. Mostly because showing that he could help people would mean that he could show Elizabeth that he had changed, if only slightly. The Ric that she knew and pushed away would never help anyone but himself and her, and even helping her was a rare occurrence in his life. He always wanted to do the right thing for Elizabeth, there was no question in his mind that he always felt that everything he did was for her on some level, but he saw that he was in error. Almost nothing that he had really done was at all beneficial to his love and ex-wife. She had almost lost her life because of the pills that Ric was feeding her. It wasn't supposed to be that way. He was supposed to take the baby that was now Morgan Stone Corinthos and present it to her as a way of filling the void that was created when she lost their child... when Sonny caused her to lose their child. An eye for an eye... it was a simple theory, but it almost took her away from him in more than just getting a divorce, it almost tore them apart eternally.  
  
Ric Lansing got no rest the night before. It was an odd mix of fear and anxiety. His plan would likely go through the way he wanted it, but there was always the possibility that it wouldn't. What would happen if it didn't go through? Would Sonny take him out? Would Sonny blame Ric for what was going on? Even though it wasn't Ric's fault in any way, Sonny likely wouldn't see it that way. Ric had basically promised that Damian would be out of the cell before the afternoon was up. He thought about calling Elizabeth and telling her, but as he looked down at his phone it said that there was no service at that time. The call could wait, it would have to wait.  
  
Mac had made it his intention to come into the office early, as had Lucky. They still didn't trust Ric at all. But, although they would have trouble truly admitting it to people, he was working with them to help Damian, a fact which made him something that wasn't the enemy, if only for a few moments in their lifetime. He hadn't informed Maxie of their plot, knowing full well that Ric could change sides at the drop of a hat. He didn't want to get her hopes up in some false statement that her boyfriend would be back in her arms sometime soon. The only people who needed to know for sure what was going to happen already knew. As far as Mac was informed, Damian himself didn't even know that he was possibly close to getting his freedom back. Sonny was aware, however. Though, even if the plan went wrong and they were unable to get Damian out, Sonny could keep his mouth shut, at least while he was around Damian. Mac knew that he would never hear the end of it if Ric's plan failed, which was still a great possibility as far as Mac was concerned. If he wasn't so desperate for something, anything, to help the poor kid that was being held with no actual reason Mac wouldn't have gone along with the idea. He didn't have a choice. Much like while he was working with Ric there was no choice in the matter.  
  
Scott had come into the office relatively early as well. Much like Ric, he couldn't sleep. However, unlike his assistant, his sleep wasn't caused by excitement. It was caused by guilt. He wanted to get Damian off the road that he was being sent on. He knew that the boy wasn't guilty of anything. He wanted to make Bobbie happy. He wanted to do it for her because he still cared about her very much. He had realized that some things were more important than popularity points with the voters as well as the increased fame and power that came with another term as the District Attorney. Much like everything else in Scott's life, though, he realized the things that he needed to realize far too late in life. If he had came to the epiphany that he had only several days prior things would have been different. He might have still had a slight chance of making it last with Bobbie. He shouldn't have cared for her like he did. She was the sister of the man that had stolen Laura from him. She was a Spencer. But her blood didn't matter to him, he saw her for more than what he originally would have. He was able to see past the pain that came with remembering what he had lost because of her family and just see her, someone who had lost at love many times as he had. Scott opened a part of his desk that was concealed to most people but himself. It had a picture of him and Bobbie together, they were holding one another in their arms. "It looks like we had to lose at least one more time, Bobbie," Scott said softly. "I'm sorry. For all the pain that I have caused you and your family, I am truly sorry. If there was a way that I could make up for it I would, please believe me. But I don't have any options that I can take. I've made a deal with the one person in this town that I know I shouldn't have even been involved with." Scott sighed, "Why couldn't everything be different, Bobbie? Why couldn't we all be happy?" Scott knew that he wasn't going to get an answer from a picture. He also knew that he wouldn't be able to get an answer from Bobbie even if she was there, because it was a question that no one could answer. The questions that he often asked were the questions that couldn't be answered. He hated that about himself. But he couldn't change it. There were a lot of things in his life about himself that he couldn't change. It was impossible to teach the old dog a new trick in his case. He wished he could learn, but it was too late.  
  
Ric stood outside the door of the office. He shouldn't have been worried about what was going to happen. His plan was basically full-proof. He had all the evidence he needed for Scott's dismissal in his hand. But there was a lingering feeling that he felt. Was he doing the right thing? Was he really going to destroy the career, possibly even the life of someone else just to prove that he was right? No, it was more than that. It was more than the fact that he was tired of dealing with Scott's ways. He was tired of watching Scott push a person around that Ric cared about. That was the big change in his life. He had swore to himself that he would never care for a member of his brother's family, someone that came from Sonny's blood, and even Michael who didn't. But that had changed when he saw that there was at last someone that came from Sonny who could give Ric the chance to maybe atone, maybe start over. Ric wasn't sure that was what he wanted completely. It was something that was almost sadistic, but he enjoyed the game that he played with Sonny. That game of constantly one upping his brother at every turn, or being one upped. Sonny was good for that game. It was one of the best things that Sonny could do. The other was set Ric off without very much effort. Of course, to his credit, Ric could do the same thing to Sonny. They knew each other so well despite not really being around each other that much.  
  
Ric took a breath and walked into the room. The pros outweighed any possible cons that could come from the situation in his mind. He showed no fear, no doubt. He was good at making his face blank. He was a lawyer, after all.  
  
Scott looked up, putting the picture away in a motion that he certainly hoped Ric didn't see. "Lansing? You usually don't come into the office this early."  
  
"I've got a very special reason for coming in this early today, Scott," Ric commented.  
  
Scott wasn't sure he liked how Ric said that, but he couldn't do anything about it. "Have you decided to concede the fact that your nephew is a murderous fiend?"  
  
"Just the opposite in fact," Ric said. "I'm going to give you one more chance, Scott. I don't know why I'm going to do it, but I am. Drop these charges. Let Damian go and nothing will happen."  
  
"I don't take well to being threatened, especially by my assistant," Scott leaned back in his chair. "I could strip you of that title in a second, Ric."  
  
Ric dug into his pocket, "You're not giving me a choice, then."  
  
Scott was nervous, "You can't really except to kill me in the Police Station without getting some sort of charge filed against you, do you?"  
  
Ric chuckled, "You think this is a gun, Scott?" Ric pulled the recorder out, "It's not. It's something that will make you wish that it was a gun, though." Ric watched as Scott's eyes went wide. Ric pressed play. The message played. Scott heard every single word that he had said with Alcazar on the phone just the day before. He heard himself say Alcazar's name. He knew that he had messed up. He knew he was going to die.  
  
Ric didn't care what Scott knew. "I believe that you have no grounds to be holding my nephew any longer, Scott."  
  
Scott felt the beginnings of sweat trickle down his forehead. He had been figured out. Lorenzo was going to kill him. "Please... Ric... don't do this. If I don't get that kid in jail I'm going to die."  
  
"You were willing to send someone who was completely innocent of any single crime to his death just to appease a drug lord, Scott!" Ric's voice was forceful. He had a point to make. "You've got no value of life, so why should I even prevent something of the same caliber happening to you?"  
  
"I've got a daughter."  
  
"Serena is better off without you as her father, Scott. We can only hope that she didn't inherit your sick, twisted mind," Ric put the recorder away. "Resign."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You heard me," Ric said. "Resign. Write your letter of resignation right now. But before you do that, pardon my nephew. If you don't do both of those right now, while I am watching you, I will take this tape to the higher ups and you will be disbarred and sent to prison for conspiring against my nephew. Assuming you make it that far without Alcazar killing you, that is."  
  
"If I do this... will you do something for me?"  
  
"I'm not in the mood to do you any favors," Ric replied.  
  
"Please... I don't want to die. Help me get out of here. I'll do both of those things that you want me to do, but don't let Alcazar know that I failed him. Don't send him after me to kill me. Give me a chance to take my daughter and leave. I can keep us hidden."  
  
"From Alcazar?" Ric scoffed. "If he wants you to be found he is going to find you, Scott. It's as simple as that."  
  
"I can keep myself and my daughter hidden, I'm good at doing that. I'm good at lying. I got your nephew arrested for doing something he had nothing to do with and held him in captivity for over a week, didn't I? I know how to work systems, Lansing. I know how to do it better than you."  
  
"Then why am I the one that is holding you in my hand, right?" Ric said in a mocking tone.  
  
"You're good, you were better than me on this one, I won't try to hide that. But, please, Ric. He's going to kill Serena if I fail him, I know it. You know it, too. He's not above killing a little girl. But are you above letting an innocent girl die?" Scott was grasping at strings that might not have even been there. Asking for pity from Ric might not have been the smartest thing he could have done. Still, he knew that Ric had a heart. Damian's captivity had showed that there were people Ric cared about.  
  
Ric also knew that he couldn't let an innocent like Serena suffer because her father was a power hungry fool. The whole reason he was doing what he was doing was to protect innocents. "Fine, but you'd better be damned good at hiding, Scott. I won't tell Alcazar anything, but you're still going to be out of town in a few hours and you're going to give the confession that it takes to get Damian out of that cell."  
  
Scott got some paper out of his desk and began to write. He wasn't sad. He wanted to be caught. He wanted the nightmare to be over. As long as he got Serena out and she was protected, it would be.  
  
Less than an hour later, Interrogation Room 1-  
  
It was far too early for Damian to be called into the room. It wasn't like he was able to get any rest on the sorry attempts for beds that had been provided by the state of New York.  
  
Ric walked into the room, holding a piece of paper, "You're free to go."  
  
"What?" Damian looked up, his fatigue fading quickly as he thought about what his Uncle had said.  
  
"Baldwin admitted to conspiring against you. We all knew you were innocent, Damian, and now that we have the proof that you are innocent you can leave whenever you want."  
  
"You're not lying, are you?" Damian asked, hoping beyond hope that Ric was being honest. "Please... tell me you're being honest."  
  
"I am," Ric showed Damian the confession, signed and dated by Scott Baldwin, clearing Damian of any involvement and admitting that he had rigged the forensics report to show his fingerprints had been added onto the report by computer. "You should know that your father had nothing to do with this. Everything was legal and by the book."  
  
"I can go home?" Damian's voice was soft. He was still in a state of disbelief.  
  
"As soon as you get the items that you had when you were brought in here, yes, you can go home."  
  
Damian got up and hugged Ric, "Thank you... Uncle Ric, thank you."  
  
Ric, shocked, couldn't really find the words that he wanted. He settled with something very simple, "You're welcome." 


	132. Home Sweet Home

Note: Yay! There was a Dillon/Jason moment in the show today! Granted, it was like barely there, but, it looks like they're going to do more with it. Fingers crossed, everyone!  
  
Kayla- Hah, I laughed when I read your 'yay.' Nonetheless, I am very happy that you are pleased with the fact that Damian is out of jail and can now prance around Port Charles happily. He does have a very large list of people that he needs to see, don't he? Well, it starts here.  
  
Journeylove- I'm glad that my story has been able to keep you entertained for the last couple of weeks. It makes me feel good that it can sustain interest for that long. Again, when I hear people say that they love my character, it makes me feel good. Most writers have the fear that throwing a created character (or two, or three, etc, etc) into a very well established story could wreck havoc. I didn't want that to happen, and I'm glad it hasn't. A pity we don't have mock awards for Fanfiction... that'd be interesting. Is the Carly you don't like the one in my story, or just Carly in general? I know I made Carly out to be the uber-bitch in this story, but she's since gotten a lot better, at least in my eyes. I don't have any General Hospital related fanfiction outside of this story, but I do have various other stories with various other fandoms, just click on my name and you'll get a link to the list. If any of them interest you, please give them a look. I can assure you that they will not be as massive as this story, though.  
  
Story-  
  
Outside the Corinthos Household-  
  
It was just a door, a door that he never thought he'd see again. Or, at the very least, a small part of him thought he would never see it again. But, as he walked up to it, followed closely by Justus, who was instructed to make sure that Damian did in fact get home immediately after being released, he knew for a fact that he was home.  
  
Max was standing guard, as he often did. He looked at Damian, "You're out?" He hadn't been one of the people that had stayed cloaked in the shadows watching over Damian's cell the night before.  
  
"Don't make it seem like you missed me, Max," Damian replied sarcastically.  
  
"I'm glad you're home, Damian," Max admitted. "Things just weren't the same without you."  
  
"Were they better?" Damian was on a humor kick, it was the only way he could manage.  
  
"No, of course they weren't."  
  
"Are you just telling me that to make me feel better?" Damian wondered.  
  
"Why don't we get you inside the house instead of standing out here?" Justus advised. "Max..."  
  
Max nodded as they walked into the house. Nothing was different, yet everything seemed as thought it had been changed. Damian saw the couch that was still there. The couch that he had slept on the first night he was inside this house. It wasn't long ago, but it seemed like a lifetime. Nobody was in the living room. He wasn't expecting a bunch of streamers and a party in his honor, although it would have been nice.  
  
"Where is everyone?" Damian asked.  
  
"I couldn't call them because the service was spotty," Justus said. "Maybe they're not here."  
  
"Leticia would be here at the very least. Maybe Uncle Jason's in his apartment..."  
  
"I was instructed to get you out, and when you were out to bring you here. I've done my job." Justus headed for the door.  
  
"Wait, Justus," Damian called out. "You know... I wouldn't have gotten out if it weren't for everyone that helped me. That includes you. I know my father paid you, but that doesn't mean that I feel that my debt to you has been paid."  
  
"You don't owe me anything for the services that I did, Damian," Justus smiled. The boy was so humble, so very unlike his father. "I was supposed to defend you, I was supposed to win. I did both of those things, like I always do."  
  
"I wish there was something that I could do for you to truly express how gratified I am for your help."  
  
"There is something that you can do," Justus said. "You could keep on living your life the way that you are. Too many of us have gotten sucked in to the world that we lead, I don't want to see that happen to you. You don't realize just how much of an impact that you've made on the people in your life just by being who you are, not who they want you to be. If you can keep on doing that, keep on showing people that there are still honest, dedicated people in the world... that's more than enough of a payment for getting you out of the jaws of the dishonest legal system."  
  
"I'm flattered that you think so highly of me," Damian replied. He didn't know that he could be viewed so highly in the eyes of someone who he had barely met. "I'll do my best to do what you're asking."  
  
"One other thing," Justus was walking out of the house. "Take a shower." He chuckled softly as he closed the door.  
  
Damian shook his head. He did need a shower, and a shave. And a bathroom with a door. All things that could be provided in his father's home. His home. He walked into the room that Sonny had given him, the room that he had left once in anger and once because he had no other choice. He didn't want to leave the room again, not until he was ready to go out and live on his own. He could have done that now, he was independent enough. Even though he had stopped looking for a job when he realized that he no longer had bills to pay due to his status as Sonny's child. He could wait a little while longer, though. He still had things to do with his family. He still had two brothers that he wanted to see grow up. A father that he wanted to actually know beyond the shell that Sonny gave just about everyone. There was so much in his life, he couldn't just leave.  
  
Some Time Later-  
  
He spared no expense when it came to enjoying the rare moment of leisure that he got. It was like he hadn't done anything that was even remotely relaxing in some time. That was because he hadn't really. He should have asked for his books while he was in jail. He didn't even want to think about the mountain of work that had amassed while he had been away. If one day was missed in medical school it was already bad, but he had missed a week. How could he recover? It didn't matter at that moment. He couldn't do anything about it. Not until he got back to school and checked in with all of his teachers. They no doubt knew that he had been arrested. There probably wasn't a single person that didn't know that he had been arrested. The son of Sonny Corinthos, supposed mobster, getting arrested was easily going to be the talk of the town in Port Charles. It was something that couldn't be avoided, no matter how hard he tried. He could possibly look into getting some plastic surgery, changing his appearance... he could stop hanging around the places that he did hang around. But he didn't want to change himself. He was innocent, he had been proven innocent. If people didn't want to believe that then it was their problem, not his.  
  
Dressed, refreshed, and ready to start life anew, Damian was still unsure as to why there was not a single person in the house. He should have asked Max if they were home, but when he walked outside he noticed that the guard was not even there. He was probably doing a mini-patrol of the area. Sonny paid him to be the best and do everything. He paid him very good. Max did his job to the best of his ability. Damian knew that Max would have done something to keep him from being arrested if Damian hadn't have been so against Max breaking the law. He didn't want anyone else to get in trouble for him, though.  
  
That left the people across the hall. He wasn't sure if they were around or not, but it was a better place to check than sitting around and waiting for someone to come in. He wanted to talk, and he wanted to go see Maxie, but he couldn't because he didn't know if she was at the hospital and he really did feel that he should have at least spent some time with his family before he went to see his girlfriend. Maxie would have understood that, or at least he hoped that she would have.  
  
"Please be home," Damian said as he knocked softly on the door. Maybe Jason was home and he was asleep. Damian would have been waking up a recovering man, something that no doctor should have done without a pretty good reason. Because he was lonely and wanted someone to talk with wasn't exactly a good reason. He was about to give up and turn around when he saw the doorknob begin to turn slowly. It was pathetic, the way that he had an almost childlike anticipation of who was going to answer the door. He had enough social issues, being in jail for a week sure didn't help those issues any.  
  
Jason hated it when random people would knock on his door. He didn't have a problem with it except when he had to be reminded of the fact that he wasn't as quick to get the door as he normally would be. A painful reminder of his failure. He would always get those. At least he could walk without tumbling in pain, as he had done with Dillon. A small but comforting consolation prize. Jason opened the door and saw that he was staring at his nephew. Sonny had told him and him alone of the plan to get Damian out by using the evidence that Ric got against Baldwin. Of course, Jason was doubtful that anything Ric planned was going to go as intended. But, as he stood there looking at Damian he knew that, at least once, Ric had pulled through for all of them. It didn't mean that he was going to automatically think that Ric was some great guy, the fact was that Ric was still a horrid person who needed to be stopped. Maybe Jason wouldn't make him suffer so much, if it were he who did the killing.  
  
"Uncle Jason?" Damian wasn't sure why he made it a question. Who else could it be? Only Jason had those sky blue eyes that could peer into anyone's soul without fail.  
  
Jason was also at a loss for words, although it was mostly because he was in doubt of Ric. "You're... out?"  
  
Damian nodded, "I just got out earlier this morning. Can I come in?"  
  
"Yeah, sure," Jason held the door open. "Sorry, I just got caught off guard."  
  
"You never used to admit that," Damian said.  
  
"I never had reason to admit it before." Jason walked over.  
  
"How's your leg?"  
  
"Getting better," Jason sat down. "I stayed off of it like you told me."  
  
"Did you?" Damian cocked an eyebrow, "I didn't think that you, of all people, would listen to me when I was telling you not to be the person that you are."  
  
"It was for my own good, I see that now."  
  
"I'm glad."  
  
"Dillon will be happy to know that you're okay," Jason wasn't sure if the two had seen each other while he was in the cell. "He came by and told me that he wanted to help you."  
  
"Dillon's a good friend. I would have done the same thing for him. For you, even." Damian looked around, still feeling like everything that he did was somehow new and changed. "Where is everyone?"  
  
"Michael's been so depressed lately that they went and took him to the zoo," Jason informed Damian. "Courtney went with them. I would have, too, but it would have been too much walking for me."  
  
"I wish I didn't have to put him through that," Damian mused. "Poor Michael, he goes through so much on a daily basis because of all of us. The least we could do is protect him from feeling the pain that comes with seeing those that you care about in trouble. I should have known better."  
  
"Michael's the smartest kid I know, he understood that something was wrong, but he also understood that it wasn't your fault."  
  
"Did dad tell him what happened?"  
  
Jason shook his head, "No, he didn't. He told Michael what he needed to know. Michael's smart, but he's still too young to understand all the details that go along with your arrest and what happened that night..."  
  
"He's going to find out one day. We can't keep on beating around the bush when it comes to what you and dad do."  
  
"We'll get to that when the time comes," Jason had thought many times what would happen when Michael and Morgan found out about their life. About the business. About the violence. If Damian was any indication of how they would act, things certainly wouldn't be going as well as Jason had hoped.  
  
"Is there anything that you want to tell me?" Damian asked. "Now that I'm back, and we're alone. You don't want to tell me something about how I shouldn't put my faith in people like Ric, Lucky and Mac? I value your opinion even if I don't necessarily agree with it. So please tell me if you feel I need to know something."  
  
"I don't think you should trust Ric as much as you do," Jason said. "But I can't make any decisions for your in your life. That was the reason why I left the Quatermaine's, because they wouldn't let me be who I wanted to be. I won't try and do that to you because it might push you away."  
  
"I can't turn my back on my family, Uncle Jason. I just can't..."  
  
"See, I wouldn't tell you to do something that you have such a strong inclination against. If you want to trust Ric, fine, I can't stop you. But I want you to know that he has done a lot of horrible things to every single person in your family. He's hurt Sonny, Carly, Michael, Morgan, Mike, Bobbie and me with everything that he does."  
  
"I know he's not the best person in the world, but he helped me."  
  
"He probably had something that he knew he could get out of it. Ric doesn't do anything out of the goodness of his heart."  
  
"I have to believe that he did it because he doesn't want to see me hurt," Damian hated that everyone, even himself at times, would question Ric like he was some unfeeling person. Ric had desires just like everyone else. "I have to believe the best in everyone. Even the people that want to hurt me or my family."  
  
"You can't be optimistic like that in Port Charles, Damian. The people here are not going to take pity on you or treat you better because you're a nice person. They're only going to take advantage of you because of your trusting nature. I don't want you to change. I just want you to be careful."  
  
"I'll try."  
  
"Don't try. Do."  
  
"Are you giving me some second rate Yoda knowledge?"  
  
"Yoda?"  
  
"Star Wars."  
  
Jason shook his head, "Haven't watched it."  
  
Damian's jaw almost dropped, but he kept himself contained. "You should sometime. Maybe we could do it together. Take a break from all the shooting and the danger and just watch a movie."  
  
"I've got nothing but time until my leg gets a little better," Jason looked down. "Could you look at it?"  
  
"You're asking me?"  
  
"I trust you," Jason said, and he knew that it was true. He did trust Damian, now more than ever. "If you do become a doctor, and I think you will, I won't go to anyone but you."  
  
"Thanks, that means a lot." Damian knew that Jason's father and adopted mother were both doctors, and while he may not have thought of them in that nature any longer, he knew that Jason also didn't like hospitals or doctors for various other reasons. It was flattering. More flattering than anything else he had ever heard before. 


	133. A Good Surprise

Corinthos Household-  
  
The family walked into the house after a day at the zoo. It was cut short for a reason, Sonny wanted everyone to be home in the off change that Justus was able to get his son out. He hadn't heard anything, due to the less than pleasant service that everyone in Port Charles was getting on their cell phones. Apparently something had happened and there was a downed line somewhere that took out the service for most of the area. Sonny should have known better than to depend on other people to keep him under the best possible conditions. He would surely make a complaint as soon as the offices were opened again. It was unacceptable. For now, though, it could wait. His concentrated was focused on two things, Damian and Michael. He couldn't do anything for the first at the moment, but the entire reason that they had left was so that Michael could get something in his life that would bring him a small amount of happiness. He'd been so miserable since the arrest and no one could blame him. They were just all very happy that Michael wasn't awake when it happened. Damian, in his last act and showcasing his ever protective nature, didn't do anything that would cause alarm to anyone in the house, even going so far as to tell Courtney that she couldn't risk making them aware of his plight.  
  
Sonny looked at the nanny. He was holding his infant son, something that he never got to do as much as he would like. He felt a small sense of comfort while he held Morgan in his arms, as if he knew that he had done at least one thing in his life that was worth doing. He had been there for Morgan through it all, even if the boy was just a baby. But, Sonny knew that he needed to stay around Michael, since the boy was very sensitive and aware of what was going to happen, or at least what could possibly happen if things went bad. "Leticia, could you take Morgan and put him down for a nap?"  
  
Leticia smiled and took Morgan from Sonny's arms, softly and easily. She knew how to care for children better than almost anyone that Sonny knew. It was the reason why she was hired to take care of them. "I'll make sure that he gets to bed without being fussy," Leticia walked the baby up the stairs, leaving Michael with Sonny, Carly and Courtney. They were three of the most important people in his life. Michael would almost always be happy to be around them, but it had been different. Sonny knew it. They all knew it. Even Michael did.  
  
"Did you have fun at the zoo, buddy?" Sonny asked.  
  
"I guess," Michael sat down on the couch, dangling his feet as a means of distraction.  
  
Carly and Courtney shot looks at each other, the gloom apparent in both their eyes. Carly forced a smile, the best that she possibly could under the given situation, and sat down next to him. "You liked seeing the monkeys didn't you? You always loved the monkeys."  
  
"They were okay," Michael replied with only a small amount of interest. He never looked up at anyone, though.  
  
Courtney wasn't going to try and make her nephew feel any better. If his parents couldn't do it, what chance did she have? "Maybe I should go check on Jason..."  
  
"Thanks for coming, Courtney," Sonny said. "I wish it could have been better... for all of us."  
  
"Yeah," Courtney replied solemnly. "So do I." She eyed Michael once more, "I'll be back later, okay, Michael?"  
  
"Okay," Michael replied, his voice utterly monotone. "Bye, Aunt Courtney."  
  
"Bye," Courtney was almost breathless. Michael was too young to be going through the pain that he was going through. It wasn't fair. But there weren't many things in life, especially the life that they had, that were fair.  
  
As she opened the door and walked out she noticed that Max had returned. He looked at her and smiled before giving a brief nod of his head. She thought that he looked too happy, and she didn't know why. She thought that maybe Sonny had managed to get rid of Alcazar, that would be reason for Max's ecstatic behavior. She would have to ask Jason when she got back into their home.  
  
She walked into her house and, putting her purse on the table spoke without looking, "Jason... is there a reason that Max should be so..." She looked up at saw her husband and her nephew sitting on the couch, both looking up at her. "Happy?"  
  
Damian grinned, "I'd think he would have a reason to be happy, yeah."  
  
"Damian?" Courtney walked over and hugged him, "It's you, you're out!"  
  
"I've been cleared of all the charges," Damian said as he embraced his aunt. "They let me out earlier this morning. Justus was to bring me back, but no one was home when I did get back so I came over here to see if either you or Uncle Jason were home."  
  
"We went out... tried to think of something that would make Michael a little bit happier." Courtney pulled away, "He's been so miserable lately."  
  
"I know... and I have something to do with that," Damian looked away. He should have never caused Michael pain, even if he truly had nothing to do with it.  
  
"You don't need to blame yourself. You couldn't have stopped what happened."  
  
"How's dad?"  
  
"You know your father," Courtney mused. "He's not going to show just how much pain he's feeling. He's trying to hide it from everyone, but he's not succeeding. We know that he's hurting. But that doesn't matter anymore, because you're here again."  
  
"If they're home... I should really go back over there," Damian got up and walked passed Courtney. "I never got around to thanking you for watching over them that night..."  
  
"I wanted to help you."  
  
"But you wouldn't have helped me. You would have only made it worse. He would have taken you in, too. And, unlike with me, he would have had reason to hold you even further. I don't think that Uncle Ric would have just nonchalantly thrown you into the deal." Damian put his hand on the knob, "Regardless, it's over with now." He opened the door and left, closing it softly behind him.  
  
Courtney looked over at Jason, "What does he mean? What did Ric have to do with any of this?"  
  
"Ric had a plan to get Damian out of jail. He got evidence that proved Baldwin was working the system to keep him there illegally."  
  
"He probably got it illegally," Courtney muttered. "I can't believe that Sonny trusted him."  
  
"Neither can I, but can you blame him?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Sonny would have done anything to get Damian out, even make a deal with his devil of a half brother. I didn't want him to do it, but I wasn't going to make Sonny's mind up for him, not that I could do it if I tried."  
  
"You knew about this?" Courtney asked, somewhat disgusted.  
  
"He confided in me, like he always does." Jason turned and grabbed Courtney's hand, "Like I said before, no one makes Sonny's mind up for him. I gave him my opinion on trusting Ric, but I couldn't make him listen to me anymore than you could. I hate Ric for a lot of reasons, none of them stronger than what he did to you and Carly. That hate is never going to go away, Courtney. I can't turn it off like it was never there. But that doesn't mean that I won't admit that Ric, on some level, actually came through for us today. It will never make me forgive him, but I can't ignore that."  
  
"Neither will Sonny," Courtney believed that Jason wanted nothing to do with Ric Lansing. It was the smartest thing that any of them could have done. Working with Ric was always going to cause more problems than it was likely to fix. "I should just be thankful that whatever Ric was thinking about doing actually did work for once, shouldn't I?"  
  
"I think it would be the best thing to do," Jason replied.  
  
Courtney moved closer to him, "But I don't know if I really can, Jason. I don't know if I can ignore everything that he's done. I know I can't help but think that he's going to turn this against all of us somehow."  
  
Across the Hall-  
  
Michael had barely moved and looked up since he had gotten home. They had given him everything that he could want. They let him have all the candy he wanted. Sonny and Carly gave him every single desire that he had. And, it could be thought that they were actually happy at least a few times during the time that they spent at the zoo. The same couldn't be said for Michael, though. He only went with his parents because he felt that they wanted him to go with them. He knew that they were trying to make him feel better, but he didn't know why they didn't realize that making him happy would have meant getting Damian out of the jail cell. Did his parents really understand what was going on in his head?  
  
"Mike?" Sonny had been sitting next to his boy, cautiously eying him from time to time. "Come on, buddy. Talk to me. Talk to daddy. I can't help you unless I know what's going on in your head."  
  
"Why couldn't you save him?" Michael asked. "Why couldn't you bring him home like before? You've always saved everyone. You saved mommy and Aunt Courtney before. You were supposed to be able to do everything."  
  
"I wish I could have done something, Michael," Sonny admitted. "But there are times when even I can't fix every single problem."  
  
"But you've never had that problem before."  
  
Carly bit her lip, "Honey... you have to know that what happened wasn't anyone's fault. It wasn't daddies, it wasn't yours and it certainly wasn't Damian's."  
  
"I know that," Michael replied. "I know that inside, but it doesn't make it any easier to believe."  
  
"I can't tell you what to believe, Mike," Sonny knew there would be a time when he would fail Michael in the eyes of his young son. He had hoped that it wouldn't come so quickly, but he was facing it at that moment and there was nothing he could do about it. "But I can tell you that I honestly did everything that I could have done, and I'm still doing everything that I can do."  
  
Michael got up, "I want to play my video game... can I?"  
  
The door opened. "Not before you spend some time with me first, I hope."  
  
The three of them looked at the door. Damian was leaning against it nonchalantly, as if everything that he had been through over the past week just faded away when he saw that his family was home. They looked happy to see him, even Carly. It was good to see that she didn't hold some contempt when he had finally got home.  
  
"Damian!" Michael, forgetting his woes since they were no longer important, dashed over, showing exuberance that he hadn't shown in some time. He grabbed his elder brother's waist. "I thought I'd never see you again."  
  
"I'd come back, Michael, you know that."  
  
"But the bad men took you away again... and daddy couldn't fix it right away," Michael looked over at his father. "I'm sorry I doubted you, daddy."  
  
"Its fine, Mike," Sonny said. In truth, he was beginning to doubt himself as well. There was no reason for Michael to know that, though. Michael could be happy again, and his other son was home. That was all that mattered. "He's back now, nothing else matters."  
  
Damian averted his eyes from the red-head that was latched to him. Michael wasn't going to be letting go anytime soon. "Dad... thank you."  
  
"I've never done anything like that before in my life, Damian. I never thought I could wait that long. You showed me that I could be better than I thought I could be." Sonny hugged his son. "Welcome home." 


	134. Driven

Kayla- I just have to keep it somewhat unpredictable, don't I? Besides, I like writing the Damian/Jason moments, they're good fun. The Damian/Maxie scene will come tomorrow, so look forward to that.  
  
Story-  
  
Michael had dragged Damian up to his room as soon as he realized that his big brother was home. Being such a young child, Michael's mood swing was not very surprising, and for the most part everyone was just happy to see the old Michael back. They were also happy to see that Damian was back as well, and Damian was happy to be back. He had just sat there on Michael's bed and watched his little brother run around telling him about all the new things that his mother and father had bought to somehow cushion the blow. Like always, they resorted to materialism. It didn't work, but Damian wasn't entirely sure how he felt about that. He was glad that he had made himself a part of Michael's life that couldn't be replaced by some overly priced knickknack, but it also showed just how much damage he could do to Michael if he ever got in trouble again, or worse. He'd almost been killed before. There was no saying that he wouldn't get put in the same situation again.  
  
"Don't you think it's really neat?" Michael asked, showing Damian his new remote control car.  
  
"Huh?" Damian looked up.  
  
"Am I bothering you?" Michael slouched. He didn't want to be annoying. He was afraid that it would push Damian away again, and that it would be his fault then, no matter what people would tell him otherwise.  
  
"No, Michael, I'm happy that you're showing me everything that's happened since I've been away, but you don't need to show it all to me right away, I'm not going to go back to jail." At least, he hoped that he wasn't going to be going back to jail. Of course he didn't think he'd go the first time. Things seemed to have a certain random probability in his family so he couldn't really say for sure that what he had planned out was going to be what happened.  
  
"If you do go back, though... I want to know that I spent some time with you," Michael sat next to Damian. "I want you to know that I love you."  
  
"Did you ever think for a minute that I didn't know that?" Damian asked. "We're brothers, Michael. We're going to love each other forever. I want to always be there for you when you need me if I can be. But, like you saw for the week I was gone, there are going to be times when I can't be around to help you out. When those times come, you just need to remember that I never stopped caring about you. Even when I'm gone forever. Do you think you can remember that?"  
  
"I'll never forget."  
  
"Good," Damian smiled. He was amazed at Michael's ability to grasp concepts that were difficult for him to understand, even at 21. Michael was the brightest boy he'd ever encountered, and one of the nicest. He was proud to call himself Michael's brother. "I heard that you were really brave while I was away."  
  
"I didn't cry a lot," Michael said, somewhat happily. But the boastful nature faltered a moment later, "I wanted to cry, though. Every time I walked into the house and knew that you weren't here, I wanted to cry. I think daddy felt like it, too."  
  
"I never meant for it to get that bad for either of you. I didn't mean for anything to happen like it did."  
  
"You weren't the one that should have been blamed," Sonny walked in. He had given his boys a moment alone, knowing that they probably needed it. But now he needed to speak with Damian himself. "You see, Mike? This is what I was telling you about. Good people who believe that everything will turn out right in the end will always be the ones that end up winning when everything finishes." Sonny wasn't exactly a believer in such an optimistic outlook on life, but he had been made less of a skeptic. So many times he had pondered going against Damian's request and just breaking him out of jail, or forcing someone to let him out. Sonny couldn't do it, though. He wouldn't break his word to anyone, especially his son.  
  
Damian wasn't sure he bought his father's sudden change of heart. But he wasn't going to call Sonny on it in front of his boy. He had no real reason to disbelieve his father, but it was still hard, believing that a man who killed people for a living and did a handful of other illegal activities could be such a positive thinker. He believed it, though. He believed himself the theory that Sonny was spouting. "As long as you believe in yourself over anything else and follow your heart, Michael, you'll always win the most important battle of all, the moral battle."  
  
Sonny was partly amazed. Damian had seen the worst of a system that was supposed to protect honest people. He had every reason to turn his back on that system, it had failed him already. But, Damian didn't. Either because he didn't want to or because he still held out such strong beliefs that everything would eventually come out right in the end. Sonny never could be so objective, though he wanted to try. He'd seen too much, become too jaded. "Why don't you get some rest?" Sonny addressed Michael.  
  
Michael looked at Damian. Damian knew what was going on in his head, "You can't stay up forever, kid. I'm going to be home tonight. Don't worry."  
  
"Well... okay."  
  
"I'll even take you out to Kelly's for something to eat later tonight, just the two of us." Damian made the offer entirely out of good faith. "How's that sound?"  
  
"Can I, daddy?" Michael asked, his face already showing how much he liked that idea.  
  
"I don't see any problem with it," Sonny said. "But you need to get some sleep first."  
  
"See you in a few hours," Damian walked out, followed by his father. Michael rolled up around his bed as Damian closed the door. "Poor kid. I didn't know that I caused him so much stress while I was in jail."  
  
"He cares about you so much. What were you expecting him to feel when he was worrying about you almost every waking moment?"  
  
"I thought you'd help him through it," Damian retorted.  
  
"I tried. We all did. Michael didn't want to listen. He didn't want to hear us say anything. All he wanted was for you to get out of jail."  
  
"Now that I am, you think everything will be okay?"  
  
"It's taking a step towards the right direction," Sonny said. "You know, you should really get some rest, too."  
  
Damian shook his head, "Now that Michael's going to be sleeping, I can slip out for a little while without worrying him again."  
  
"Slip out?" Sonny asked. "You're not going anywhere. You just got out of jail!"  
  
"Dad... I have to see her."  
  
Sonny shook his head, "Maxie can wait until tomorrow."  
  
"If you were in jail for a week, wouldn't you go see Carly as soon as possible and not let anything stop you?" Damian wasn't going to let anyone, not even a mob boss father scorned, keep him from the woman that he loved. "Please, I know how to get to General Hospital."  
  
"You're going with..."  
  
"No," Damian cut him off. "No guards, dad. Nobody following me. Not Max, not Uncle Jason, who couldn't even do it if you ordered him to, not even Aunt Courtney. I want to see her alone. Please."  
  
Sonny, who was well known for never doing something that he had no desire to do, did not want to let his son walk around Port Charles unprotected, but, in an uncharacteristic moment of letting someone else get their way over himself, Sonny caved. "Fine. You can go to the hospital by yourself. But how do you know that she'll even be there?"  
  
"She'll be there," Damian assured his father. "She's been taking as many days as she possibly can because it helps her get her mind off of what was going on with me. I just want to show her that I'm okay, that I'm out, and let her know that we don't have to be afraid of anything anymore."  
  
"You really love her, don't you?"  
  
Damian nodded, "I do, dad. I love her because she's showed me a different part of myself, a better part of myself. One that isn't still living in the moment where I became a parentless teenager. She's showed me that I could have something that I've always wanted but never thought I could get because of my past. More than that, I feel better when I'm around her. I need to be with her, if not for her, then for me."  
  
"You're going to make it with her," Sonny said. "I can feel it."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"You don't mind if I ask you to be home in a few hours, do you?" Sonny inquired. "I'm letting you go without guards when we don't have cell phone service. I at least need to know that you're safe."  
  
"Two hours, three tops."  
  
"Deal."  
  
Damian walked down the hall, down the stairs, and out of the house. It was like he was possessed by something, which he was. He was driven by his love for Maxie Jones. 


	135. Tumble

Note: This chapter is going to be a little shorter than most of the chapters that I do. Sorry, I guess I couldn't stretch out the chapter for the standard 4-5 pages. Don't worry, though, the next few chapters will more than make up for this lacking piece.  
  
Kayla- What can I say? Those Corinthos men, be they Corinthos men by name or by name and blood, love their women fully. I imagine that Michael, when he gets old enough, will be quite the little heartbreaker. Provided that he grows into that oversized forehead of his. Don't get me wrong, I love the boy dearly, but he can look like an alien.  
  
Journeylove- Yeah, Carly can be a bit evil when it comes to things that she feels strongly about. It's both her best and worst quality.  
  
Story-  
  
General Hospital, a little while later-  
  
Maxie had been at the hospital, as Damian had predicted. She was certainly less distressed than she had normally been. If it was something that could be accredited to the fact that she had spent time with Damian only the day before was unknown. She wasn't walking around whistling Dixie, but she wasn't moping around either.  
  
Georgie was with her, although she was scheduled to work whereas Maxie was basically forcing herself to be there. Georgie didn't mind, it let her keep an eye on her sister. Maxie had told her about the moment where she almost went back to stealing pills as a way to escape from the pain. It was a horrible moment for Maxie, but also a proud once since she was able to beat the desire and walk away without a relapse into her dangerous past. Georgie had hoped that she would have never gotten that far, but the fact that she beat it was the important part.  
  
"I can't believe you're pulling a double shift," She said as Maxie walked behind the nurses' station.  
  
"It's the weekend, Georgie," Maxie replied. "We have to have as many people as we can just in case something happens. Those teenagers, you never know what they're going to do."  
  
"We happen to be part of the 'those teenagers' group, Maxie!" Georgie said with a wry grin.  
  
"Teenagers are in high school, I'm not."  
  
"Your age still ends in 'teen.' Sorry, you can't win this one."  
  
"Does everything always have to be a game with you?" Maxie asked as she heard the elevator make the sound that it was about to open. "Sometimes you can be..."  
  
Georgie noticed that Maxie had stopped. "Can be what? Maxie?" She didn't hear her sister respond. "Maxie?" Georgie turned around and saw that Maxie was wrapped around someone. When she got a closer look she saw that it was Damian. Georgie could only grin widely.  
  
Maxie couldn't believe that he was there with her, but she wasn't going to let him get away. If she did, he might not ever come back to her. "You're out!" Maxie said happily. "When did you get out?"  
  
"Earlier today," Damian said as he hugged her. "I shaved just like you asked."  
  
"I can see that," Maxie ran her hand down his face. "I kind of miss the stubble."  
  
"Make up your mind!" Damian replied. "I would have called you but the service is down or at least unreliable for everyone. Plus, I thought I would surprise you."  
  
"It was the best surprise ever!" Maxie still didn't let go, in fact, she held him tighter.  
  
"I need my ribcages unbroken, Maxie," Damian told her. It didn't really hurt, but it wasn't exactly all that comfortable either.  
  
"Now you can tell me what happened!" Maxie said. "You don't have to worry about being accused of the same thing..."  
  
"I can't," Damian said softly.  
  
"Damian, I just want to know why you were in trouble in the first place. I won't tell anyone anything, I swear."  
  
"I trust you, Maxie. I really do. But..."  
  
"There shouldn't be a but!" Maxie said. "If you trust me, you should be able to tell me anything!"  
  
"I made a promise that I wouldn't talk about it," Damian said. "You don't want me to break my word. Do you?"  
  
Maxie shook her head, "No, I don't. I'd never ask you to break your word." She knew that it involved his father in some way. Would it always be like that? Would they always end up having something between them because of Sonny and his life? She didn't want to think about that. "I'd love to spend some time with you, but I have to work..."  
  
"Maxie... I came here to see you. You're not going to just blow me off, are you?"  
  
"We have tomorrow," Maxie said, trying to be as nice as possible. It was true, she was blowing him off. She was angry that he didn't really trust her as much as he should have. "Please, Damian."  
  
"I love you..." Damian said somewhat dejected as he walked away.  
  
"I do, too," Maxie replied, watching him leave. She meant it. She did love him. Even being angry at him wouldn't change that. It was their first fight. She wanted it to be their last as well, but she might not have gotten that wish.  
  
Lorenzo Alcazar's home-  
  
Lorenzo, through one of his many planted informants at the Port Charles Police Department, had been made aware of Damian's release and Scott Baldwin's failure to make due with his part of the bargain. He wasn't pleased. Lorenzo watched as the sun set over his terrace. Soon the stars would be out and he could look at the constellations. He had gazed at the stars many times in the past. Sometimes alone, sometimes with the woman that he loved when she was still alive. Now he wanted to watch them with Carly, but the only way to do that would be to show that he loved her more than Sonny ever could. His best way of doing so was to get rid of one of the problems in her life, her step-son. At first Lorenzo thought he could use Damian against Sonny, but when he saw how much the boy was harming Carly's mentality he knew that nothing was more important than getting rid of him. His plan to get Damian out of the house did not work, nor was his plan to get Damian thrown in prison for life met with any success. There was one last step that Lorenzo could have taken. Lorenzo picked up his phone, not caring that there was a known service complex. What he wanted done couldn't wait. He dialed the one person that he felt he could depend on. The one that had caught Damian sneaking around when they first met, before they knew how much they would end up meaning to one another. "Al?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I need you to do something for me."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Get rid of Carly's Step-Son."  
  
"What?" Al obviously couldn't understand what Lorenzo was saying through the static.  
  
"Get rid of Carly's Step-Son, dolt!" Lorenzo yelled.  
  
Al pushed the phone away from his ear to save himself from Lorenzo's yell, "Are you sure?"  
  
"I wouldn't give you the order if I didn't feel that it needed to be carried out, Al!" Lorenzo wished that he could do it face to face, but there was no time to waste. "I don't care what it takes, the next time you see Carly's Step-Son, you take him out and make sure that he stays dead." Lorenzo hung up the phone.  
  
From his truck, Al looked down at the phone in shock. "He must have gotten mad at Carly," Al mused to himself. Why else would Lorenzo ask that Carly's son be taken out? Al didn't care, he had his orders, he'd do what was needed. 


	136. We Belong Together

Kayla- Lorenzo won't be leaving anyone alone for awhile... Yeah, Maxie was hurt that her man couldn't be honest with her, but since she knows how much it means to Damian that he's honest about everything with everyone it hurts her that he can't be honest with her, of all people. She is, at least in her mind, entirely justified.  
  
Story-  
  
Kelly's-  
  
Elizabeth was working once more. The patrons' smiles and idle banter made her feel more at ease. She could focus on what they were telling her rather than dealing with her own problems. Although, aside from Damian, she didn't really have any problems. She had admitted that she was in love with Ric again, because it was the truth. They were going to give it another shot, and she had a feeling that it would end up being something that they could both be happy with. They knew the worst that each had to offer, and they were willing to accept those flaws. She was going to be off of her shift as soon as the hour was up.  
  
Ric walked in, a huge smile on his face the minute he saw Elizabeth. While he was always exceptionally happy to see the woman that he loved, today he had even more reason to be happy with the things that had happened. "Elizabeth," He walked up right next to her.  
  
"Hi," Elizabeth would have hugged him, but she had two dirty plates in her hands. She certainly didn't want to get Ric's suit all messed up with whatever it was that was on those plates, she could no longer tell.  
  
"Do you have a minute?" Ric wondered. "There is something that I need to tell you."  
  
"Yeah, just give me a second to put these away," Elizabeth rushed to the back to put the plates in water, someone else would clean them. If they weren't cleaned towards the end of her shift she would.  
  
Ric waited patiently on one of the stools, or at least as patiently as he could. In the span of twelve hours he had done a few considerable things with his life. He had exiled Scott Baldwin from Port Charles, thus ending the regime that Scott had put into action when he was the District Attorney. He had freed his nephew from the incarceration that he unjustly received. He only hoped that Damian wouldn't sue the department for a conspiracy. Actually, he hoped that Sonny wouldn't do it, since he was almost certain that Damian would not. Maybe if Sonny did Ric could call in the favor that Sonny now owed him. Ric did not want a lawsuit marring the very beginnings of his legal career. That was not his idea of a good debut. Of course, it was up in the air if Sonny would indeed go with Ric's request. Sonny was a man driven by honor when it came to just about everyone else but Ric. Not that there was much that Ric could do, he couldn't even blame Sonny for being so distrusting of himself.  
  
What would he do as District Attorney? He hadn't made a public announcement yet, it could wait for a bit. There was no need for the people to know that there was a shift in power right away. Monday would be the day he would do it. Unless Mac leaked it out to the press, or Lucky. He didn't think that they would, but their alliance was dissolved as soon as Damian walked out of the Police Department a free man. There was no telling how either of those two would act, especially Lucky. Being a Spencer gave him a degree of randomness in everything that he did. After all, Lucky had broken up with Elizabeth, even after he got all his memories back. That was one of the most foolish things that Lucky could have possibly done. But it was also to Ric's advantage. Elizabeth would have stayed with Lucky if they hadn't broken up. She was loyal to the person that owned her heart, and it would have stayed Lucky's. It would have never even went to Jason.  
  
"Ric?" Elizabeth walked from the back area and saw that Ric was contemplating something. What was going on in his head? She didn't know, although she wished that she did. She wanted to make sure that it wasn't something that would push her away. She had just given him her heart again. She didn't want it stomped on like it was nothing. That would have hurt her so much. "Honey?"  
  
Ric enjoyed being called 'honey,' it showed that they were back together. "Sorry, sweetheart," Ric said somewhat aloof. "Just mulling about what could have happened."  
  
"With what?"  
  
"It doesn't matter," Ric said.  
  
"It does matter, Ric," Elizabeth protested. "It matters a lot to me. Please tell me what you were thinking."  
  
Ric couldn't lie to her. She had such compassion in her eyes and he knew that if he lied to her early in their relationship he would never stop. He could lose her again. There was no way that he was going to let that happen once more. "I was just thinking about what would have happened if Lucky and you would have never broken up. How much I would have lost because you would have never been in my life the way you are on this day. I would have fallen in love with you anyway, Elizabeth, I couldn't do otherwise. You are the one that I know I want to spend the rest of my life with, but I also know that you are loyal to the people that you love. Sometimes foolishly loyal like you were with me when I was being a horrible person that disgusted you. But I know that if you would have stayed with Lucky, or even Jason for that matter, I would have never had you."  
  
"Why are you thinking about my past relationships?" Elizabeth wondered, somewhat alarmed. But she could tell that he was honest with her about what he was thinking of, and for that she was thankful.  
  
"I was just taking value of the things in my life, Elizabeth." Ric grabbed her hand softly and rubbed it. "You don't need to worry about that. The reason I came here tonight was to tell you that we got him out."  
  
Elizabeth smiled, "You did?"  
  
Ric nodded, "He's been a free man and every single charge that was brought up against him has been dropped as of this morning."  
  
Elizabeth hugged him, "I'm so happy and so grateful to you! Ric, that's wonderful!"  
  
"There's more,' Ric said, pulling away from her so that he could look her in the eyes, but still holding onto her. He didn't want to let go. "I've been made the District Attorney. Scott Baldwin was working against Damian because he was working with Lorenzo Alcazar. He made false evidence that made it appear that Damian was the one who held the murder weapon. I knew that he was doing something and I put a recording device under his desk. I found what I needed and I got him to sign everything over to me."  
  
"Would you have done this for Damian even if you wouldn't have been made the DA?" Elizabeth had to know. She knew that Ric still wanted some power. Was his reason for helping his nephew, someone who was his flesh and blood, that selfish?  
  
"Elizabeth, I did this because it was the right thing to do, because it's my job to help protect the people who are being punished for no reason. You know that. I'd never use Damian as a pawn in anything. He's never hurt me in any way."  
  
"I just wanted to hear you say that to my face," Elizabeth said. "I needed to make sure that you were the man I loved, the honest decent man that I knew was inside of you all along."  
  
"I want to celebrate, come out with me, please."  
  
"I can't go out dressed like this," Elizabeth replied. "I look horrible."  
  
"You look as beautiful as you always have," Ric said. "I don't care how you're dressed."  
  
Elizabeth blushed, "How can I turn down an offer like that?"  
  
"You can't," Ric replied coyly. "It's the perfect offer."  
  
"I still have to finish my shift."  
  
"I can wait," Ric sat on the stool again. "I'll wait right here for you."  
  
"You don't have to..."  
  
"But I want to," Ric kissed her hand. "I want to spend every possible moment I can just looking at you and knowing that you care about me as much as I care about you again."  
  
Elizabeth blushed again. Ric was always romantic, even when she wanted him to go away. She didn't want him to go away at that moment, though. There was nothing more that she wanted than to have him stay around her as much as he could.  
  
Ric wasn't lying to her. He would have done what he did for Damian even if it didn't mean that he wouldn't have gotten anything out of it, but he knew that he could, and since he knew that he could get something out of the situation he was going to make sure that he did. Elizabeth didn't need to know that, though. She didn't need to know that he did have a slight motivation towards empowering himself. He also did it for her. He could provide more for her as the District Attorney. His pay would be higher, he could make her happier with lavish gifts. Things that would make Sonny's spending on Carly seem tame by comparison. He didn't want to make such trite comparisons between the relationship that his brother had with his wife and Ric's relationship with Elizabeth, but he knew that Elizabeth deserved everything that Carly got from Sonny and more. Elizabeth was everything that Carly could never be. She was compassionate and loving. She wasn't vindictive. She was pure.  
  
As Ric watched Elizabeth treat each customer with the care that she would give everyone, even a complete stranger off the streets, he knew that he had made the right choice. He also knew that he wanted to be with her more than ever. He wanted her to be his wife again. Maybe she would say yes. Maybe tonight would be the night to ask. He didn't have a ring, but that didn't really matter. He would ask and hopefully she would say yes to him again. The people around them wouldn't like it, but he didn't care what they thought. He didn't care what Lucky thought, what Sonny thought, even what Audrey thought. He and Elizabeth belonged together. 


	137. The Needy

Note: Starting next week, in an effort to get the story finished quicker (not that I want to rush, I just want to get it done before school ends... since I won't be on DSL anymore and dial up can't handle all the chapters...), I will begin posting two chapters per day. I've been working on two chapters a day for about a week now, and if I continue to do so, I think that I can manage to get the story done. So, look forward to that.  
  
Kayla- You're right, Ric is a twisted soul, but he's also tormented and his reasons for doing things, while in no way justified, are at least reasonable in his eyes. It makes him a character that can be pitied as well as hated and loved, very interesting traits.  
  
Joy- I was wondering where you went! I was going to think that you'd respond when the boy got out, but I respect your choice to not review, at least you do it more often than most other people, which is something that I appreciate. Anyway, yes, moments with Damian and Jason are great. I could imagine Jason watching 'Star Wars,' although having him enjoy the movie would be another thing in its entirety. I bet he loved the movie when he was a kid, but since he can't remember that time... the point is moot. I know that the homecoming was anti-climactic, but I thought it worked and I didn't want it to be as huge as people thought it would be. Always have to keep the readers guessing, you know how it goes.  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
Why had she reacted the way that she did? Damian wished that he knew. He wished that he could read Maxie as well as he thought he could. He didn't think that she would hold such a festering disappointment in him because he wouldn't tell her about the incidents that really happened at the docs that night. What was he going to tell her? Was he going to say that he was there because he wanted to protect his family? Would he tell her that his involvement was caused simply because of his father's hand in the entire operation? She probably suspected as much. After all, whenever something happened in Port Charles that had such a context of violence, Sonny Corinthos would always find his name somehow attached to it no matter what. The worst part was that most of the time the accusations were completely founded, regardless of what the law would say in the end. What happened on the docks that night was not Sonny's fault, though. Damian knew that. His father didn't want anyone to get hurt, but the person who tried to kill him had other plans. Sonny defended himself, regardless of how fatally it was. He had every right to act the way that he did given the situation.  
  
Maxie might believe that, but she would also likely let it slip to someone. She would probably tell Georgie. Damian had nothing against the relationship that the two Jones sisters had, but if it meant that he would put his own family in danger of getting arrested then he would have to keep his silence for the time being. Maybe one day he could tell Maxie the truth, but that day would not come for a long time.  
  
He had been alone on the couch for as long as he could remember. He didn't even have that much time away from the house. He wanted to spend it with her, but she didn't want to spend it with him. He would never force himself on her, that went against everything that he believed in, so he left because that was what she wanted him to do. He didn't like it, however. He hated fighting with people. He hated the conflict and the hurtful words that an argument caused. His mother and he had never argued before, but he had heard his aunts and uncles fight constantly in Los Angeles. A few times those relationships ended up in divorce... something that Damian never wanted to do with his wife. The bonds that were to be made on a wedding day were to last eternally, never be severed. He still loved Maxie more than anything else, but would they ever be able to look past the fact that Damian could likely never be completely honest with her when it came to what happened with Sonny? The irony was not lost on him. He hated the organization that his father owned, but he would protect that organization because he cared about his father too much to see him get placed in a cell. Sonny's claustrophobia had nothing to do with his desire to keep Sonny out, it was the sheer fact that he didn't want to be without his father. They hadn't even been together for that long, and he certainly didn't want to take Sonny away from Michael or Morgan, who needed him much more than Damian did. There was no telling if Jason would be able to get out of the line of fire if that were the case. It wasn't a secret that Jason Morgan and Sonny Corinthos worked together in just about every single aspect of life. He couldn't take his father and his Uncle Jason away for anyone, not even Maxie. But he didn't want to lie to her. He was so confused.  
  
"I would have thought you'd still be at the hospital," Sonny walked down the stairs, carrying Morgan in his arms.  
  
"I was only there for a few minutes," Damian said, turning to face his brother and his father.  
  
"Was Maxie not working?"  
  
"No, she was there. We saw each other, but she wanted me to leave..." Damian's voice was pained as he explained what had happened , even if it was the most abrupt version of the story that he could give his father without telling him everything.  
  
Sonny, of course, wasn't about to take that pitiful explanation as the entire reason. "You were in jail for a week, and now you're finally out and she couldn't spare some time for you? That doesn't sound like her."  
  
"She had a lot to do," Damian replied. "She... just didn't want to be around me at that time."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
Damian pondered telling Sonny everything, and in the end his mind told him that it was the best thing to do. What was the worst that could happen? Maxie didn't know anything, and he would never expect his own father to order a hit on the woman that he loved. Sonny wouldn't be that sadistic, would he? "She asked me to tell her about what happened on the docks, dad. She figured that since I was cleared of everything that I could just talk openly about it. But I couldn't because I wasn't going to take the chance that she would talk to someone about it and then it would end up getting you or Uncle Jason in trouble."  
  
"You did the right thing," Sonny was proud that his boy wouldn't put his girlfriend in front of his family. It wasn't unexpected, though. Family meant so much to Damian. It was humbling, really.  
  
"If I did the right thing why do I feel so horrible about it?" Damian asked. "I feel like I lied to her, but I didn't. I just can't bring myself to put anyone into any possible danger by telling her what happened. Is this what happens when someone gets involved in your life, dad? Are we so enamored by you, care about you so much that we're willing to throw everything out the window just to protect you?"  
  
"I never asked you to be silent about what happened with anyone, not even Maxie," Sonny bounced Morgan around softly. His voice was as serene as he could make it. "You did it because you felt that it was the right thing to do. I agree with you, it was."  
  
"I never thought we'd get into a fight."  
  
Sonny chuckled, "You're just being delusional if you think that you can get away with not getting into a fight with someone you love, Damian. No matter how much you care about someone there's always going to be something that you just can't agree on."  
  
"What if she doesn't want to see me anymore?" Damian expressed his fear of losing Maxie. He'd almost lost her twice in such a short time already, but he had managed to somehow cling onto her, still retain that love that he depended on so much. Would the third time be the time that he struck out?  
  
"If she can let something as small as that get in the way of your relationship... then you're better off without her," Sonny hated being as cold as he sounded, but it was true. Damian deserved someone who would always trust him regardless of his decisions. "I don't want to think that she isn't the one for you because I know how much you care for her, but the fact is that sometimes we can't be with the people that we love because of what we do."  
  
"I don't do anything," Damian defended himself. "I try and keep myself as far away from your operations as I can. I try to find that thin line that can let me be around you despite knowing what you do for a living. I try and try and try, but all I seem to be doing is failing at it. Maybe I am delusional. Maybe I should just stop trying to turn a blind eye to what I know you do."  
  
"What are you saying?"  
  
"I don't know," Damian sighed in defeat. "I don't know what I want to do right now. I've always wanted a relationship, a good one, with everyone that I come into contact with. I don't want to have anything that could possibly make me think lower of people because of what they do, but I don't think I can continue to do that with you, dad. I was almost put away because I refused to stop protecting you. Uncle Jason was shot because he protected you. People get hurt because we're involved with you."  
  
"I want to change that," Sonny said. "I really wish that I could make the world safe for everyone that I care about, but I can't. Even if I didn't do what I did there would still be the danger that comes with being alive today. I can't put everyone in a bubble and hope for the best, I have to let them live their lives as best as I can, but they also have to let me live my life the way that I want to."  
  
"How do you do it?" Damian asked. "How do you live your life with so many contradictions but manage to make it as good as you can?"  
  
"I just roll with the punches," Sonny said. "My whole life I've always been someone who took everything that was thrown in my way and made it out to my benefit as much as I could. Sometimes it's never a good thing. I lost my wife and two of my children because of this life, but I've also gotten more happiness than I could have ever hoped for because I just keep on living, I don't let myself get defeated by what happens. That's what you should do with Maxie, Damian. You should give her the space that she wants right now, let her decide what she wants to about your relationship. Don't try and push yourself back into her life. That never works."  
  
"I guess it's the only thing that I can do," Damian got off the couch and stretched. His long moment of contemplation had tensed his muscles more than he thought it would have. But, if she stopped loving him, could he stop loving her? He didn't think that he could. "Is Morgan okay?"  
  
"Yeah," Sonny patted the infant on the back. "I just like walking him around the house from time to time. I feel like he's safer if he's in my arms."  
  
"I'm sure he does, too," Damian replied. "Everyone feels safer if they're in the arms of their parents."  
  
"I'm sorry I never got to hold you growing up."  
  
"You don't need to be," Damian said sympathetically. "You didn't have any control over what happened when I was growing up."  
  
"Which is what hurts me the most. I'm almost always in control."  
  
"You just told me that you took what life gave you and rolled with it. Take the fact that you weren't there for me growing up and accept it, knowing that you're here for me now when I need you."  
  
"You need me?"  
  
"I've always needed a father," Damian smiled softly. "I never thought I'd get one, though. Now I do, and regardless of everything that's happened and will likely happen in the future, I'm a better person because of it."  
  
Sonny could count the number of times that someone said that they became a better person because of his involvement in their life on a single hand. Everyone was always saying that he destroyed their lives without a care in the world, they were wrong. At least his son didn't feel that way. "You don't know how much I appreciate you saying that."  
  
"I think I've got an idea," Damian's response was rather sarcastic, but it was also filled with appreciation. Maybe he really did know how much he meant to Sonny. They both hoped that he did. "I think I'll go and take Michael to Kelly's now. He's probably got enough rest and is likely hungry."  
  
"Wouldn't want to break a promise."  
  
"No, I wouldn't," Damian headed up the stairs.  
  
Kelly's, an hour later-  
  
Even though the two had long since finished their meal, they stayed for a little while longer. Michael was happy, Damian could tell. It could have been because Michael had an intense love of the fries at Kelly's, but he was willing to bet that there was more to it than that. Whatever the reason, Damian intended on staying around just a little while longer, to give his little brother every moment that he could. "Did you like the meal?"  
  
Michael wiped his face on his napkin, which was already stained with ketchup, "You didn't have to take me. I know how much you want to spend time with Maxie."  
  
Damian chuckled. He wanted to spend time with Maxie, but did she want to spend time with him? That was debatable. "Maxie knows how much you mean to me, Michael. Besides, I haven't spent any time with you in so long that I just wanted to give you some of my time for yourself."  
  
"I like spending time with you."  
  
"Yeah, I like it when we spend time together, too."  
  
"Were you scared?" Michael asked. "When you were in the jail, were you scared?"  
  
"Sometimes," Damian answered. "But I wasn't really scared for myself. I was scared for you and everyone else. I didn't want to put you through everything that would happen if I ended up going to prison. That was the really scary part. That and thinking that I would never get to see you again."  
  
"Mommy missed you."  
  
"Did she?"  
  
"She never said it, but sometimes she would look really sad, and I knew it was because you were gone. She feels bad for the way she acted at first."  
  
"I feel bad for being mean to her, too. But that's all behind us now. We're friends, we care about each other and we wouldn't try and hurt one another anymore. We realized how much we were hurting people like you and dad by fighting."  
  
"Do you think we can do this more often?"  
  
"If you want," Damian put some money on the counter. "But we should get back to the penthouse. I don't want your mom to worry about you."  
  
There wasn't a long walk from Kelly's to the penthouse. Neither of them thought anything of it. Michael was walking a few feet ahead of his big brother without a care in the world. Damian couldn't recall a time when he was so carefree, and it caused him to be somewhat envious, but he was happier for Michael because at least the boy felt such a feeling once in his life.  
  
Although neither saw it, Elizabeth and Ric were across the street, coming back from a celebratory dinner. Neither of them paid much attention to the brothers either, although Elizabeth did smile when she saw that Damian was walking around a free man.  
  
"Wait for the light, Michael," Damian said at the crosswalk.  
  
There were a few cars that were coming by, one of which was driven by the man that was hired by Lorenzo to kill Carly's son. Al saw the redheaded boy up the street and started his truck. He could hit and run. He looked around and saw that Sonny wasn't around, which put his mortality rate a little bit higher. While Michael was crossing over the road, unaware of the plot against him, Al came closer. Damian, still a few feet behind, noticed that the car wasn't stopping. If anything it was speeding up. He didn't have time to take Michael out of the way and put himself out of danger as well. Instead he shoved Michael out of the way as his eyes were blinded by the bright headlights, and then there was nothing but blackness. 


	138. Reactions

EXTREMELY IMPORTANT NOTE: Go back and read the chapter before this. I made a mistake and cut it off too early, so I had to edit it in order to get the cliffhanger I wanted plus, if you don't read that, then this part will make NO sense at all. Please go back... unless you're reading this after 4-22- 04, in which case, ignore...  
  
Story-  
  
Michael didn't know what was going on. He just remembered freezing when he saw something coming towards him and then being pushed away. Michael could feel the scrapes that lined on his arms from hitting the pavement. Who pushed him? Why? What was going on?  
  
Ric and Elizabeth watched in horror from the other side of the street as they saw what was likely going to be Michael getting hit by a car. They were too far away to do anything, although they both wanted to yell for him to get out of the way. Neither of them had to yell, though. Michael was safe, but that didn't mean that everything was fine. They knew that Damian had taken the blow for Michael. They saw his body get flung several yards away by the force of the impact alone.  
  
"Elizabeth, go to the payphone and dial 9-1-1!" Ric started towards the other side. All the other cars that were in the vicinity had stopped as they saw what was happening. The truck that had attempted to take Michael out had already sped off. Ric was in such a state of shock over what happened that he didn't even bother to check out the perquisite things such as model and color. All he knew was that his nephew, the one that he had spent a week fighting for, was laying on the road in a puddle of his own blood.  
  
Elizabeth, shaking with tension, found the nearest payphone and dialed the number. "Hello? We need an ambulance as fast as possible!" She gave the location and hung up, tears streaming down her eyes. "Please... don't be dead."  
  
Michael was still stunned, but he had managed to get up to his knees. He was afraid, he wanted his parents. He wanted someone that he knew.  
  
"Michael!"  
  
Michael heard his name and looked up. He was relieved that someone knew who he was. But when he saw that it was the bad man he backed away, "Get away from me!" He shouted. "I won't let you hurt me!"  
  
"Michael, I don't want to hurt you... I just want to make sure you're okay!" Ric knew that he was wasting his time trying to reason with Michael. The hatred that Sonny had bred in his son's heart towards Ric was deeper than the situation. He had more important things to do, anyway. He saw that Michael was fine, aside from a scratch on his face that was bleeding slightly. "Elizabeth!" Ric yelled as he saw her coming down the street. "Stay with him!"  
  
Elizabeth nodded as she walked up and stood next to Michael, "You okay, sweetie?" She didn't let her panic show, knowing that Michael would feed off of it if he sensed it. All children looked to the adults for how they should act in a situation.  
  
Michael gazed at Elizabeth. She was in love with the bad man, but she was such a nice lady. His dad never said anything mean about her, and his Uncle Jason once loved her like he loved Aunt Courtney. He was so scared, and she looked like she wanted to help. "What happened?"  
  
"Someone tried to hit you..." Elizabeth said. "Do you remember the car coming towards you?"  
  
Michael nodded, "Why didn't it hit me?"  
  
Elizabeth was silent... how was she going to tell the boy that his brother had sacrificed himself? "Damian... pushed you out of the way. That's why you fell down."  
  
"Is he okay?" Michael looked around, he didn't see Damian anywhere. That made him very afraid. "Where is he?!"  
  
Elizabeth looked over at Ric, who was kneeling over Damian. She couldn't tell what he was doing, she was too far away. "Michael, I don't know."  
  
"Damian!" Michael wailed, trying to run around and look for his older brother. Elizabeth grabbed him, not violently but she didn't want to him to see what was going on. She didn't want to see it, either, but she could accept it better than a young boy like Michael could. "Let go of me!" He tried to pull away, but she wouldn't let him. "I need to make sure that he's okay!" Michael gave up and started crying. Elizabeth, making no effort to mask her own tears, knelt down and hugged him.  
  
"Damian!" Ric felt his nephew's blood seeping into his pants, but that didn't matter. He could see that Damian's head was busted open. He couldn't tell how big the gash was, but there was still an alarming amount of blood coming from that cut and various other places around his body. "Come on!" Ric pleaded. "Don't be dead, please don't be dead!" He wasn't sure if Damian had a broken neck, so he didn't care attempt to move him, but he checked for a pulse, grabbing Damian's arm and placing his fingers on the vein. The following seconds seemed to be at a standstill, but there was a slight ease as he felt the slight throbbing of a heartbeat. Damian was alive. "Thank God," Ric said softly. He was so afraid. More afraid than he had ever been before in his life. He cared if Damian lived or died, he didn't want him to die. "Where the hell is that ambulance?!" Ric asked aloud, to no one in particular. He looked at Elizabeth, who he could clearly see was busy trying to console Michael. Damian had done this to save his little brother, someone that he wasn't even really related to. Not that it mattered. He was going to protect Michael at any cost, even if it meant his life. Ric wanted to be with Elizabeth, but he didn't dare leave Damian alone on the cold pavement of the Port Charles street. If it weren't for that damned accident that took out the service in the area he would be on the phone with Sonny right now. He wanted to call the phone at the penthouse, but he couldn't pull himself away. Did Damian even know that he was there? Would it even matter? Ric pushed those thoughts out of his head as he heard the blare of the ambulance. Relief washed over him as he knew that Damian was going to get some of the help that he needed.  
  
Less than a minute later the paramedics were strapping the young man to a gurney. His face and hair stained with the fast drying blood that came from his own body. Ric grabbed one of the paramedic's shoulder and asked, "Is he going to be all right?" Ric had to know for certain.  
  
"I don't know, sir," The paramedic replied. "He's lost a lot of blood and there's no telling what kind of internal injuries he may have gotten until we get him to GH."  
  
"I'll be there as soon as I can," Ric said.  
  
"Are you family?"  
  
"Yes," Ric shot out. "I'm his Uncle!"  
  
"I'm sorry," The paramedic said in his defense. There was no way of telling that they were related. "We need to get him to the hospital as soon as we can. Every second counts."  
  
"I understand. Hurry, please."  
  
"We'll do everything we can... but..."  
  
"No!" Ric shouted. "Don't... he can't..."  
  
"I hope not," The paramedic got into the vehicle and closed the door. The sirens blared as the ambulance made its way towards the hospital.  
  
"You can't be dead, Damian. You can't." Ric felt a part of himself go numb. He needed to check on Elizabeth and Michael. He knew he was walking, but he couldn't feel his legs. His entire body felt like it had gone numb.  
  
Michael was still crying in Elizabeth's arms. She was trying her best to comfort him, but she didn't feel like she was doing a good job. That wasn't surprising, since the poor boy had just seen his brother get nailed by a car. There was no telling what had happened to Damian. She wouldn't even lie and say that everything was going to be okay, because she wasn't sure that everything was going to be okay herself. She saw Ric walking up and wiped away her tears. "What... what happened?"  
  
"Michael..." Ric ignored Elizabeth for the moment, focusing on the young boy. "Please tell me if you're hurt in any way. I need to know for sure."  
  
"Go away!" Michael backed away. "Leave us alone! If you had something to do with this, I'm going to make sure that my daddy hurts you!"  
  
"Michael, I had nothing to do with this. I'm only trying to help," Ric didn't know how far he was going to get in inspiring Michael's trust. "Please, Damian's already on his way to the hospital where the doctors are going to look at him and hopefully see if they can help him get better, but do you have any broken bones or deep cuts?"  
  
"No," Michael murmured. "I want to go with Damian! Take me to Damian!"  
  
"Ric... you can't let him go..."  
  
"I know," Ric said. "Elizabeth, could you walk him to the penthouse? I'm going to head over to the hospital and make sure that everything is okay. I don't want him to be alone."  
  
"Yeah, of course," Elizabeth took Michael's hand. "Come on, Michael. We'll take you to your home..." She hated sounding so uncompassionate, but there wasn't anything further that she could do.  
  
Michael, for some reason, decided that he should listen to Elizabeth. He went with her without putting up a fight. He did look at Ric one last time, his eyes not filled with hate, but with questions. Was he trying to help? He had went over to that place... Michael had seen it. Was that where Damian was?  
  
Ric waited until they were around the corner before he sprinted towards the Hospital. He'd make it as fast as he could possibly run.  
  
General Hospital-  
  
Maxie was looking at the time. She didn't have that much time left before her shift ended. Maybe she could call Damian and tell him that she was sorry for the way she acted. She was being insensitive to him. She knew how much he cared about his father. She knew that he would want to protect Sonny at just about any cost. How could she be so insensitive? He was never like that with her. Even when he didn't agree with her and how she thought he was never mean to her. Had she learned nothing while she was with him? She thought that he had made him a better person, but was she just lying to herself?  
  
She noticed that Monica was in a hurry, but that she had stopped in front of the Nurses' Station, a worried look on her face. "Monica... what is it?"  
  
"We just got the notice that someone was being brought in, a young man just got hit by a truck."  
  
"Is he okay?"  
  
Monica had no actual answer, so she wouldn't try to make one up. "I don't know, Maxie. They weren't even able to give us a name, but they said that he looked like he took a bad hit."  
  
"I can stay if you need me to," Maxie said. "If it's something bad, I want to help."  
  
"Thank you, but I don't think that will be necessary."  
  
The doors burst open on the other side of the hallway. Maxie and Monica looked, with Maxie staying behind the station as Monica walked over and looked at the unconscious young man.  
  
"We need to get him a transfusion as fast as possible," One of the medics said. "He's lost too much blood."  
  
Maxie saw the faint and familiar glimmer of a face that she knew. Something about the hair. She couldn't see his face because his head was turned to the other side. Maybe it was someone that she knew from school. One of Kyle's old friends, possibly.  
  
"I've paged Bobbie, but she hasn't gotten down here yet," Monica told them.  
  
"I'm right here," Bobbie came up from around the corner. She got a look at the boy and gasped, "Oh, my God... no."  
  
Maxie's interest was peaked even more. Bobbie didn't know any of Kyle's friends. And even if she did... she wouldn't be... crying? Maxie wanted to know why Bobbie was crying. It had to be someone that Bobbie knew, someone that Bobbie cared about. The hair... she had felt that hair before. No... Maxie, in disbelief, had to be certain. It couldn't be him. She ran from behind the station and looked at the unconscious man's face. There was no doubt that it was Damian. "No!" Maxie broke down almost instantly. "Damian!" She grabbed him in a panic, "Damian, speak to me! Come on, talk to me! Please!"  
  
"Maxie, stop!" Monica ordered. "You need to let go of him, we don't know if he's got any damaged nerves!"  
  
Maxie forced herself to let go, but she didn't want to. It couldn't be him. It just couldn't be. But it was.  
  
"Maxie... someone has to let Sonny know," Bobbie said. "I have to be with him."  
  
"I want to be with him, too! Please!"  
  
Bobbie shook her head, "I'm going to make sure that he doesn't die. I need you to be of as much help to me as you can, and for that to happen you need to let his family know! Please, Maxie, do this for me."  
  
"I... can't." She couldn't lie. "I can't tell Sonny that his son is in the hospital, please don't make me..."  
  
"He'll be informed shortly, if he doesn't already know," Ric walked up from the elevator and looked at Damian. "Why isn't he in an observation room yet?"  
  
Monica looked at Ric, "He's right, as much as I hate to admit it. We can't spend anymore time just standing here."  
  
Bobbie eyed Ric. She thought he had something to do with it as well. Having no proof, and knowing that she needed to spend her time on better things, Bobbie walked away. "Please be all right."  
  
Maxie, watching them wheel away her boyfriend, sank her head onto the station's counter and sobbed. Ric watched her, sorrow on his face. 


	139. Shattered

Note: I find it almost haunting that I am posting this part of the story while the show is doing its current arc with the family in question. To be fair to myself, though, this was written long before Michael fell down the well... still, could I be any less timely?  
  
Joy- I think that Maxie's getting her punishment for the way she treated her boyfriend when she first saw him, don't you? Okay, sure, I may have taken it a bit over the top, but this is Port Charles... You're right about Sonny and Damian, and they're going to need each other now more than ever.  
  
Kayla- Yup, I'm rather good with those cliffhangers. People thought that they one I had with the gun going off way back when was bad, and I told them that wouldn't even be the worst cliffhanger. Ah, it seems like so long ago... I do find it funny that one of my reviewers feels bad for Maxie while the other is enraged. Go me.  
  
Journeylove- It was not my intention to make you cry, but, in a very sadistic sort of way, I'm glad to know that I got such a strong reaction out of you.  
  
Story-  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
The time of being blissfully unaware of the crisis that was affecting the family mere miles away was something that the Corinthos family would no doubt want to savor. However, since they were completely unaware of the fact that something was wrong, they didn't think anything of it at all. There was no premonition. Sonny didn't feel like a part of him was tore apart the minute Damian was hit by the car. He was going through the files that he had to look over and give his approval to Myer as soon as he could. He hated going through the files, but it was something that was required in order to keep his operation going smoothly.  
  
"Sonny," Carly came down the stairs. She smiled when she realized what he was doing. "Don't you think that you could take a day off from your business and instead indulge in the pleasure of the situation?" She sat down next to him and ran a hand up his leg. "You should be basking in the freedom that your son has found, not milling about with useless paperwork."  
  
"It has to be done, Carly."  
  
She pulled away from him, "You're just no fun."  
  
"Need I remind you that doing this monotonous paperwork whenever it comes to me is what keeps you living the good life that you've become accustomed to?"  
  
"You wound me with your truths, Mr. Corinthos," Carly grinned. "But I think I could manage to live a day without the best if it meant being with you."  
  
"I'd never let you have anything but the best, Carly. You know that."  
  
"That's why I love you so much," She said, kissing him on the cheek. "You keep us all as happy as you can, even when you're not feeling the same joy that we feel." She grabbed the paperwork and pulled it out of his hands, softly, with a slight hint of seduction. "What's Damian going to think when he comes home and sees that you're too busy looking over paperwork to spend some time with him?"  
  
"Unlike some people," Sonny began as he yanked the paper back, "my son is smarter than to think that I would care about him any less. I've just got a lot of things that I need to take care of in order to properly provide for my family."  
  
"Shouldn't they have been back by now?" Carly asked. "How long does it take to eat at Kelly's?"  
  
"They're probably just spending some time together," Sonny said. "You know how much Michael adores Damian. I'm sure they're spending every waking moment just talking about whatever idea comes into Michael's mind."  
  
Carly agreed. Michael was a chatterbox with the people that he cared about, Damian more so than most. She didn't know exactly why, but she suspected that it was because Damian would actually listen, intently, to whatever it was Michael was telling him. Damian had something about him that allowed him to always give Michael his full attention, something that Carly didn't even possess at times. It wasn't that she thought that her son was a pest, but he was a little boy and he always had questions about things that she wasn't entirely sure she could answer. She knew that it was just something that he was going through and that he would eventually break out of it, but she wondered when it would happen. At least Michael had someone who would be there for him when he needed it. Sometimes she couldn't be there, sometimes Sonny couldn't, but she knew that Damian would find a way to be there if Michael needed it. Again she was awed by her ignorance. She was so opposed to him becoming a fixture in their lives, she was so unfair to him.  
  
The door burst open, unexpectedly. Carly and Sonny didn't even have a second to look before Sonny was bombarded with the soft sobs coming from a very familiar redheaded child. It was only then that Sonny, with no answers for Michael's attitude change, noticed that the person standing in the doorway wasn't his son. "Elizabeth?" Sonny held Michael, still unaware of what was going on. "Why are you here?"  
  
"Sonny... I had to bring him home," Elizabeth said as she took an uneasy step into the house. She was uninvited. She was probably just above Ric on the list of people who would never be let inside the house under all but the most dire circumstances.  
  
"Why?" Sonny inquired. "Damian was with him."  
  
Elizabeth's face began to show that she wasn't going to enjoy saying what she needed to say. But she would have to. Michael likely wouldn't be able to find the words to express what was going on without somehow making everything seem like it was worse than it truly was. Not that there was a very big margin of error. "There... was an accident, Sonny."  
  
"What?" Sonny let Michael go. It wasn't that he wanted to, but he needed to have his full attention on Elizabeth.  
  
Carly took Michael into her arms and made sounds that she hoped would comfort her son. "Its okay, Michael."  
  
"What do you mean there was an accident?" Sonny asked. Elizabeth started to back away. Sonny was scaring her. "Elizabeth, tell me, dammit!"  
  
Elizabeth jumped back and started to stumble with her words. Sonny was frightening her even more. "A truck... tried to hit Michael... Damian pushed him out of the way and got hit instead."  
  
Sonny/s anger quickly faded into worry. "Where is he now?"  
  
"The hospital... they took him away in the ambulance."  
  
Sonny's questions kept coming. It wasn't surprising. He was completely in the dark, something that wasn't exactly a normal feeling for Sonny. "How bad is he?"  
  
Elizabeth couldn't give him an answer to that. "I didn't see him, Sonny. I made sure that Michael wasn't alone... Ric's the only one who knows how he looked."  
  
"Ric?" Sonny's anger flared again. "Where is Ric?"  
  
"At the hospital..."  
  
"He's at the hospital, where my son is, while my son is injured?"  
  
"Sonny! He only wanted to help!" Elizabeth was quick to defend Ric. She knew that he had nothing to do with the accident. He had been with her the entire time. "We were coming back from a meal and we saw Michael and Damian. We didn't think anything of it until we saw that the truck wasn't stopping."  
  
"What kind of truck was it?"  
  
"I don't know," Elizabeth said. "I was too busy worrying about Damian and Michael... I didn't pay attention."  
  
"Honey, are you okay?" Carly asked Michael. She looked at her son's face and saw that he had a small cut on his face. She was worried about Damian, there was no doubt about it, but her first concern would always be to her own child. "Come on, let's get you washed up so you don't get an infection."  
  
"I want to go with Damian!" Michael screamed. "Mommy... daddy... I don't want him to die!"  
  
"Michael, the doctors and grandma are doing everything they can for him. I know it," Carly forced a smile on her face. "But I need to take care of you right now. Please come with me."  
  
"Go with your mother, Michael," Sonny ordered, the situation slowly soaking into his mind.  
  
"Daddy!"  
  
"Michael, please! I can't worry about Damian and worry about you at the same time. Let your mother take care of you."  
  
Michael, tears still freely flowing down his cheeks, knew that he couldn't argue with both his parents. He ran up the stairs, but he wasn't happy about anything that was going on. How could he be?  
  
Carly watched Michael run up the stairs. "Go, Sonny. I know how much he means to you. I'll stay with Michael and calm him down before I go to the hospital, but you need to be there as soon as you can be."  
  
"Tell Courtney and Jason..."  
  
"I will, I promise." Carly walked up the stairs.  
  
Elizabeth looked uneasily at Sonny. It was the first time that she realized that she was being left alone with the man that had caused so much pain in Ric's life, even if most of it was entirely unfounded and caused by Ric's vendetta. None of that mattered, because she was still intimated by Sonny. "I should go... Ric probably wants me by his side."  
  
"Let me drive you," Sonny offered.  
  
"No, it's okay."  
  
"Please, Elizabeth, you told me about my son's accident, it's the least I can do. Besides, you can tell me about what you saw better now that Michael's not around. Please."  
  
Elizabeth, not wanting to ignore a father, any father's pain, reluctantly agreed. "Okay, Sonny. I'll tell you what I can."  
  
"Any information would be helpful."  
  
Lorenzo Alcazar's Home-  
  
The mastermind behind the hit and run sat in his chair, awaiting any word on the status of his grand ploy to get Carly's love once and for all. He was expecting a phone call or something of the like. When there was a knock on his door he was a little surprised to see Al standing there in front of him. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"The job was botched."  
  
"What?" Lorenzo asked, his voice filled with a tone of displeasure.  
  
"I tried to take out the redhead like you told me..."  
  
"I never told you to kill Michael!" Lorenzo yelled. "I would never ask for Carly's own flesh and blood to be hurt. It would kill her!"  
  
"You said take out the son!"  
  
"I said step-son!" Lorenzo countered. "You idiot, can't you take orders!"  
  
"The step-son got in the way, sir," Al said. "He was the one who ended up getting hit. The boy only got pushed away, nothing major."  
  
"You caused Michael pain."  
  
"I was only following your orders!"  
  
"I would never request such a thing! You should have known that!"  
  
"Well I did what you wanted me to do, sir," Al replied. "Zuniga took the hit and is in the hospital as we speak. I didn't fail you."  
  
"You're wrong," Lorenzo countered. "You still put Carly's child in jeopardy. You've possibly cost me a chance at getting the woman that I love to feel the same way for me!" Lorenzo pulled out a gun and shot Al at point blank. Al groaned before he fell to the ground. "That's how I reward failure..." 


	140. Peculiar Connection

General Hospital-  
  
Maxie was sobbing in one of the chairs. She hadn't stopped with her agonizing tears since she realized that it was the person that she loved more than she'd ever loved any other guy. It only made it worse that they had that stupid fight only earlier in the day, and the possibility existed that she would never get a chance to say that she was sorry for the way that she acted. She would never get to say goodbye.  
  
Georgie had stopped working as soon as she realized what was going on. She had to stay by Maxie because if she didn't she knew that Maxie would end up losing it completely. Georgie was the one thread that managed to keep Maxie somewhat grounded. If she wasn't there, there was no telling what was going to happen. She had been doing something else on another floor when Damian was wheeled in. She hadn't seen how he looked, but from what Maxie had told her things didn't look like they were going to go over well. It was so horrible. She had only seen them together again earlier that day. She had seen Maxie melt in happiness, like everything that was ever wrong in her world was corrected simply because the person that she loved was standing a few feet away. He had been gone from her for a week, and he was in the hospital now. It wasn't fair. How long had they been waiting? When would they get some news on his condition? Would the doctors even tell Maxie and Georgie? Maybe, maybe not. They weren't family, and even though Monica and Bobbie knew that Maxie and Damian were involved with one another, it might not have been enough to warrant disclosure. They could check the records, but Georgie didn't want to be forced to find out, and she knew that her sister didn't want to feel like she was being excluded.  
  
Ric was also in the area. He hadn't left since he got there, although a part of him had thought that leaving would have been the wisest thing for him to do. When Sonny arrived he would no doubt be angry and scared. Sonny was irrational almost all the time, but the moment that someone was hurt that he cared about, the second that the situation became something that was more than he could handle, it made Sonny even worse than he could ever be when things were going his way. Ric could hear Maxie's crying in the distance. He had even looked a few times over at the poor girl who had gone through so much in her short life, and her problems only seemed to escalate because of her involvement with his nephew, with his family. It wasn't fair. If anyone should have been spared the pain, it should have been Maxie. At the very least he saw that Georgie was there, as she would always be, standing over her older sister like the protector that Ric knew she was.  
  
Every time he tried to leave he couldn't. Not until he had some news about what was going on. He'd stay regardless of what Sonny said. Sonny didn't matter, their grudge didn't matter. Everything that was going on about them, between them, should have been ignored for the time being. Ric knew that he would be more than willing to make such a pledge, but if Sonny was going to feel the same was another story entirely. They should have stood together. Ric should have been there to help his big brother when Sonny needed it, because he knew how much Sonny cared about Damian. Did Sonny know how much Ric cared for Damian? That was a debatable question. Odds were high that even if Sonny did know he would find some way of making it so that it didn't seem like Ric cared at all. Sonny never believed that Ric could be the type of person to care about anyone other than himself, even after he had seen how much Ric truly loved Elizabeth. Sonny chose to blind himself which was something that Ric would have to accept, regardless of how much it hurt.  
  
Bobbie had done a lot of things in her time at the hospital. She had seen people die and that would never be something she could become comfortable with. But when she saw someone that she viewed as family lying on the gurney she knew that it was the worst feeling she could ever have. Luckily, Damian wasn't family, which allowed her to get past the rule that the hospital had prohibiting workers from doing anything on family members. It was still hard, but at least she knew that she was the one that was doing everything she could to keep him safe. If anyone failed it would be her. She wouldn't fail.  
  
Sonny and Elizabeth tried to stay as calm as they could. It was slightly easier for Sonny, although it was still a struggle. His son... the one that he had barely known... could be leaving him before they ever really got a chance to be together. Sonny had thought that when they weathered their animosity towards one another, or at least Damian's animosity towards him, that they had finally gotten past everything. It wasn't the case, though. Sonny knew that now. He could solve that problem easily, but keeping Damian alive could have been a bigger problem, one that he couldn't battle. Sonny had a lot of power and influence, there was very little that Sonny couldn't do. Bringing back the dead was on that very limited list. Sonny had been made aware of that fact early in his life, even after his rise to power. He couldn't bring back Lily or their baby, he couldn't bring back Stone, he couldn't bring back the baby that he and Carly had lost because of AJ. But Damian wasn't lost to him yet. Sonny wouldn't lose him without a fight.  
  
When they arrived at the hospital lobby where everyone was, Sonny, for once, did not focus on Ric. He noticed Maxie first. Out of the people that were there he didn't go and look at the person that he hated most. He knew that she was taking it the hardest. What could he do? Was there anything that he could say? Sonny sighed, he didn't know, and that was the worst thing that could have happened to him.  
  
Time flowed at a painful pace. It seemed like if they looked at the clock, any of them, it meant that the clock would only go backwards in time. It had only really been ten minutes, but it seemed like it was much longer.  
  
Monica walked up. She knew that someone would have been there by then. Sonny would have had someone come and see his son if he wasn't there himself. She was thankful that he was there, though. It made her feel better about a lot of things knowing that he cared about his son enough to be there when he was hurt. Maybe he wasn't the worst choice for a father that Michael, her grandson, could have had.  
  
They all noticed her, but it was Sonny who took spoke, "Monica... how is he?"  
  
She looked at the girls that were around her. Maxie, Georgie and Elizabeth were not family. "I shouldn't talk about something like this in the open."  
  
"They can hear what you have to say," Sonny said. "I know that Damian wouldn't want the people that he cares about to be kept in the dark about something as important as his health."  
  
Monica, now with the blessing of the patient's father to talk openly, could give the answer. "Stable," Monica's one word meant more than it was implied. Everyone knew that stable was about the best that he could be aside from fully recovered. "But that doesn't mean that everything is going to be okay. He's lost a lot of blood from the gash on his head and various other places on his body. We'll wait until the morning before we get him into an x-ray room, but he might have a few broken bones. All things considered, it could have gone much worse for him."  
  
"You can't see if there's anything else wrong with him?" Sonny asked. "Will this be like with Jason? Will he forget who he was?"  
  
Monica didn't enjoy hearing that part of her own past, losing her own son, but she knew that it was a fair question to ask given the situation and was not something that Sonny said to hurt her intentionally. "I don't know for certain, Sonny. We can't take any risks right now until he gets slightly stronger. Like I said, he's stable but tampering with him and putting him through a bunch of tests could put that stability in jeopardy, and I don't think any of you want that."  
  
Elizabeth clung to Ric's hand. He was on the arm of the seat she was sitting in. "At least he has a chance..."  
  
"Can I see him?" Sonny inquired.  
  
Monica shook her head, "Right now we just need to be around him, the doctors and nurses. Bobbie is with him right now. She felt it best that she stay with him and I give you the news. Someone will let you know when it's okay for you to come in." She walked off, hurrying because she knew that if something was going to happen it would happen soon.  
  
"Sonny..." Ric started.  
  
"Don't talk to me," Sonny quickly cut his brother off. "The last thing I want to hear right now is your voice. I let you stay because Elizabeth was the one who told me what happened and I knew that you wouldn't leave her alone. But now that we know what we're up against, I don't have to play nice with you."  
  
"Don't you think we can just be there for your son?" Ric asked.  
  
"I will be here for my son, I'm not going anywhere."  
  
"Neither am I," Ric said.  
  
"No, you're leaving."  
  
"Sonny," Elizabeth got up, "please... Ric's just as concerned about Damian as you are. Can't you at least not fight with each other for the sake of someone that you both care about? Would you do something like this if your mother was in the hospital?"  
  
Sonny turned his penetrating eyes towards Elizabeth. She defended him, as he knew she would. "I don't have the time to fight with him, and I don't care what he does. But if I think for a minute that you're going to hurt my son, Ric, I'm going to make sure that you don't."  
  
"I would never hurt him..."  
  
"Prove it," Sonny stated. "You're only getting one shot with me, and the only reason I'm giving it to you is because I know that Damian actually does view you as a member of his family, as someone that he cares about. I may never accept or understand why he does it, but he made the choice and I'm not going to spit on that choice, not right now."  
  
Ric wasn't sure if he should thank his brother, so he didn't. "Elizabeth, maybe we should get some coffee, it could be a long night."  
  
"Yeah, that would probably be smart," Elizabeth got up and walked away with Ric, looking back once.  
  
"Maxie," Sonny spoke her name and she almost jumped. "How you doing?"  
  
Maxie wiped away her tears and sniffled. She had never had an easy time talking with Sonny, even if she was going out with one of his children. Being around him as much as she was didn't make it any easier. But he was being kind to her at that moment. She knew that he was genuinely concerned about her. "I'm so scared..."  
  
"So am I," Sonny admitted.  
  
"Do you think... do you think he's going to die?" Maxie asked. She struggled with the possibility, knowing that it was at that moment more real than it had ever been at any other time in their lives.  
  
"I won't let him die," Sonny stated. "I will do everything that I can to protect my sons."  
  
"This is a good hospital, Maxie," Georgie said, trying to sound as comforting as she could. "They saved you, remember?"  
  
"They've saved a lot of people," Sonny said. "I don't care what it takes, Maxie. If I have to fly specialists in from around the world I will. I've got enough money to front something, no matter the cost. There is nothing that is more precious to me than keeping my son alive." His words weren't doing anything to motivate Maxie. He tried another avenue. "Hey, he wouldn't want you to cry." Sonny gave her a box of tissue that was nearby. "He would want you to be strong and he needs you to think that he's going to get better, not that he's going to get any worse."  
  
Maxie took the tissue and looked up. She had never seen Sonny Corinthos in such a vulnerable position in her life. It made him seem more human... less alarming. A person that she could appreciate. 


	141. Worry

Note: Remember, starting tomorrow you can look forward to two chapters a day for an extended period of time... hopefully I can keep the trend going that will let me keep on writing two chapters a night, too.  
  
Kayla- I wanted to show that Maxie was going to have a change of heart when in regards to Sonny, which is why I had that little moment. She's worried about her boyfriend, but she knows that he's worried about his son, so it works out.  
  
Story-  
  
Corinthos Household-  
  
Throughout her life, Carly had managed to see Michael through his fair share of crises. But that didn't mean that she was always prepared for one. No, Sonny had always made it seem like everything in their life was going to be okay even when they knew that the feeling of safety was fleeting at best. Still, they all chose to live under the false veil of security, and when that veil was finally lifted it was usually hard for all of them. But, as hard as it always was, Michael was only directly involved with a few of them. One was the time he saw her get taken away and placed in the panic room, the other was now this. Michael had said that he couldn't remember what had happened, but he was there when the truck hit Damian. The truck that was apparently intended to hit him. Was it a drunk driver? Was it someone who just wanted to make Sonny suffer? They were both possible, although when it came to Sony's life it was almost always a given t hat something happened because of him.  
  
Michael hadn't stopped crying, at least indefinitely. There would be times in the twenty minutes that he had been home where the sobs would stop for a fleeting moment, like the boy was trying to adjust to the situation but just couldn't find a way to cope. When that realization hit him, the sobbing started again. Carly felt her pant legs soaked with the tears of her child, and she only wished that there was a way that she could make them go away. It didn't matter what he did, all that mattered was making sure that he was okay.  
  
Michael finally stopped a few minutes later, but that didn't mean that everything was okay. It was probably an indication that everything was just the opposite. He wiped his nose and sniffled, "Mommy... I want to be with him."  
  
"Honey, there's nothing that you can do for him," Carly said softly. "The only ones who can help him right now are the doctors, not even daddy can help him get better, not until we know for sure that he's going to be all right."  
  
"But he was with me when I was in the hospital! Even when the doctors couldn't make me feel any better, he was there for me."  
  
"This is different, Michael," Carly tried to reason with her son. He was a bright boy, she was proud of him. She only hoped that he would understand what she was saying. "You weren't hurt, there was just something wrong with you inside of your head. Damian was hit by a truck, he's going to have a lot of really big cuts... it's not something that I want you to see."  
  
"He's going to die, isn't he?" Michael asked. "He's going to die because he saved me." Michael's tears began once more. "Mommy, why'd he have to do that? Why did he have to get hurt because of me?"  
  
"Because he loves you, Michael," Carly hugged him. "He put himself in danger just to keep you from being hurt. He did the same thing that any of us would have done for you. I owe him so much because he protected you when I couldn't."  
  
"Is daddy going to protect him?"  
  
"I think so," Carly said. "Daddy's going to do everything that he can to help Damian, Michael, we all know that. But daddy can't fix every little problem that comes across."  
  
"What can I do to help? I just want to help. I hate being here and feeling safe when I know that he's hurt because of something that was supposed to happen to me."  
  
"Michael, nothing was supposed to happen to you. This isn't your fault. He didn't have any way of knowing that someone was going to try and hurt you, he just acted on his instincts and he got hurt because of it. He has a better chance of surviving than you would have. If you would have gotten hit by that truck instead... I don't even want to know what could have happened."  
  
"You're going to go see him, aren't you?"  
  
"When I know that you're okay, yeah. I'm going to make sure that daddy's okay. He needs me right now. You know how much he worries about you and your brothers. Right now he must be feeling so much pain."  
  
"Will you tell daddy that I love him?"  
  
Carly smiled, "Of course I'll tell daddy that you love him, Michael. I'm sure that he'll want to hear that, it will make him feel better."  
  
"What about Morgan?" Slowly, the tears and the panic were fading from the young boy's conscious. He was still worried, but he was beginning to accept it more than he had.  
  
"Morgan's just a baby. He doesn't understand what's going on."  
  
"He'll know that he had someone who cared about him, right?" Michael asked. "He's just a baby, he won't remember Damian if he doesn't come home. I don't want Morgan to think that he didn't have Damian in his life, that would hurt everyone."  
  
"Don't worry about that right now, Michael." Carly didn't want her young boy thinking about death, but it was obvious that it was something that was on his mind. "If it does happen, though, we won't let Morgan think that Damian didn't care about him, I promise."  
  
"You're worried about him, aren't you?" Michael asked.  
  
"Yeah, baby, I'm scared for him right now."  
  
"I like it a lot better now that the two of you aren't fighting with each other all the time," Michael tried to focus on something positive, something that would help him deal. "Everyone seemed happier..."  
  
"We were. We can still be that way, Michael."  
  
Michael grabbed the chain that had been given to him by Damian when he was in the hospital. "Do you think I should give this back to him?"  
  
Carly shook her head, "He wanted you to keep it forever, remember? If you keep it around your neck I'm sure he'll know that you're thinking about him and he'll know that you want him to get better and it will help him get better."  
  
"You think so?" Michael wondered.  
  
"I think it's worth a shot," Carly said, kissing the boy on the forehead. "I'm going to be with daddy at the hospital. If you need anything, Leticia is going to be here to watch you and Morgan. If anything happens we will call you, I promise."  
  
"But the phones are down..."  
  
"We'll find a way to let you know if something happens," Carly meant it. If there was any change at all, she'd inform her child. "Right now, I'm going to make sure that Uncle Jason and Aunt Courtney know what happened, too."  
  
Michael watched his mother leaving, but he was much more fixated on the chain, which glittered in the light provided by his room. "Damian..."  
  
Morgan Household-  
  
"I can't believe you told him that," Courtney said, baffled.  
  
"I meant it," Jason replied.  
  
"I know that, Jason. You never say anything that you don't mean, but it was a pretty big thing to tell him. You hate doctors."  
  
"I hate not being able to get answers when I need them," Jason corrected his wife. "But Damian would find a way to give me something that I could depend on, I believe that."  
  
"How'd he take it?"  
  
"He said that it was one of the nicest things that he's ever had anyone say to him in his life. I didn't want to make him think like it was this big moment where everything was going to change because I admitted that I actually valued him in my life."  
  
"You don't do that very often, Jason," Courtney knew from experience that the people who were inside of Jason Morgan's life were in the far minority compared to people who were outside of Jason Morgan's life. "And when we think back at how much animosity you had for him when he first came, I'm happy for both of you."  
  
"Everything should be behind him." Jason smiled, "He's out of jail and his name has been cleared."  
  
Carly, rather than knocking on the door, knew that it was almost always open. She took her chance and pushed the door open. She saw that Jason and Courtney were sharing a warm, tender moment. She hated knowing that she was going to be the one that was going to ruin it for them, but they had to know what was going on.  
  
Jason, always being the first person to know when something was wrong with Carly, could see that she wasn't doing well. Something was troubling her. Based on the way that she looked, it was big. "Carly? What's wrong?"  
  
"I'm... on my way to the hospital."  
  
"Why?" Courtney turned around.  
  
"Damian was hit by a truck protecting Michael less than an hour ago." Carly watched as Courtney's mouth opened. Jason tried to remain as stoic as possible, but there was a glint in his eyes that showed that he was sad. "I don't know what happened, Michael said that he saw the truck coming for him and then Damian pushed him out of the way, but he didn't have enough time to move himself. Sonny's already there, but since the cells are down he hasn't called me. I told him that I would go over there as soon as I got Michael settled in and told the two of you."  
  
"How is Michael?" Jason asked. His instincts would always be towards Michael. It was hard to shake the feeling when the boy was once his son. It wasn't that he didn't care about Damian, but his strongest protective feelings would always be towards Michael. He would have done the same thing for Michael is the situation were reversed.  
  
"He's having a hard time coming to terms with everything," Carly said. "Not that I blame him. He thinks that something is his fault. He knows that Damian took that blow because of him. I managed to calm him down somewhat, and Leticia is still with him. I need to get over there as soon as I can. You coming?"  
  
"I'll follow in a little while," Courtney said.  
  
Carly nodded, "I just hope everything is going to be okay." She opened the door and walked out almost as fast as she had walked in.  
  
"Well, that killed the mood," Courtney muttered. "I shouldn't be so selfish. My nephew is in the hospital and all I can think about is myself."  
  
"Courtney, you're not selfish, you're just worried and you don't know what to think right now."  
  
"Maxie... she works at the hospital. What if she's there?"  
  
"Don't worry about Maxie."  
  
"How can I not worry about her?" Courtney asked. "She loves him, Jason. If it were you in the hospital, I don't know what I'd do. What about Georgie and Dillon? They're his friends."  
  
"Courtney, stop," Jason said softly. "You can't be the one who fixes everyone's problems right now. You just do what you want to do. I know that you want to be there for Damian right now, so just focus on that. Don't worry about Maxie or anyone else."  
  
"You don't want to come?"  
  
Jason looked away. "You know..."  
  
"I know, I know... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have thought about it. I know how much you hate hospitals."  
  
"I've got something that I should do."  
  
"Jason! You can't go looking for the person who did this right now, you're still hurt!" Courtney panicked. She had a feeling that her husband would try to be the one that fixed everything in the most violent way possible. "Please, promise me that you won't be looking around Port Charles for someone. I wouldn't want you to do it if you weren't hurt, but since I know that you are I worry about you even more."  
  
"I won't be looking for the person who did this to Damian, Courtney. I promise."  
  
Courtney hugged him, "I'll be back as soon as I can."  
  
Jason watched his wife leave. He knew what he needed to do, and he didn't like it at all. 


	142. Sonny's Apostrophe

Authors Note: Again, I swear I didn't have this planned out... but the posting of this chapter is oddly in tuned with what is going on the show, it's actually quite creepy.  
  
Joy- We all (well, okay, not all of us, but those of us who actually like Ric) want Sonny to give Ric a fair shake. Of course, if Sonny did manage to give Ric a chance, he'd find a way to ruin it. Thusly is the problem between them. Yes, the Jones' are the epitome of all that is good in the sibling world, very much in the way that the boys of Adela (I think that's her name...) are the stark contrast. Funny how that works out, no? Yeah, poor Damian, I put him through hell... and have fun doing it.  
  
Journeylove- For future reference, it's 'you're.' Sorry, I'm an English major... but, worry not, I was once extremely bad with the ways of the grammar. Anyway, wait no longer, for you shall get not one, but TWO chapters.  
  
Chapel-  
  
Sonny had gone to the chapel out of instinct. It seemed like it was the best place for him to be while he was busy worrying about the life of his oldest son. Seeing the lit candles, some for people who were fighting for their lives and some for people who had lost that fight, made Sonny put his life into perspective. Someone was trying to get to Michael. That was the entire reason why Damian was hurt. Someone was trying to take away one of his children, and they had failed if they were going for Michael, but they could have succeeded when it came to Damian. Sonny didn't doubt that his son was strong and wouldn't just roll over and die, but sometimes people got taken away from him because that was how it had to be. Sonny wasn't allowed to feel true happiness, it was his curse. It wasn't something that he truly believed, but he had to look at the track record that he had amassed since he had started down the path that he was now on. He was elated when he realized that Lily was pregnant, but he lost them both. He had found love with Brenda, only to have himself be betrayed and broken. He and Carly had found each other, only after being enemies and still they would often find themselves at odds with one another over various things. He lost one child of Carly's, and he almost lost Morgan and Carly as well. Now he was in the hospital, waiting to find out if he would have to bury another person that he cared about. Sonny didn't think he could take that. He wasn't sure he could bury another child before himself. It wasn't easy doing it the other two times, but he had never spent time with either of the children that were already lost to him. They didn't have fights like he and Damian had, they didn't have the talks that he and Damian had. There was so much that Sonny loved about his relationship with his son, he didn't want to lose him. He couldn't stand to lose him.  
  
The chapel was empty. Sonny didn't understand why there was a chapel in the hospital, but it would often provide him with an outlet for his expressions when he needed to let them out. He needed to let them out at that moment. "Is this some big karmic payback?" Sonny asked. "Are you making me suffer because of the horrible things that I've done in the past? The things that I know I did but tried to justify in my mind? Are you telling me that the people I killed didn't deserve to die? Because if you are, then you're wrong. I've killed a lot of people who needed to be killed because they would only keep on hurting people who didn't deserve to suffer. I'm sure that on some level that doesn't matter to you, you're not very objective about a lot of things, are you? Fine, I accept that. But what I don't accept is that you're using someone who is completely innocent against me. You're trying to get to me by using my son, and that isn't something that I can accept from anyone, even you. You want to break me? Do it. Send someone to kill me or set me off like you've done plenty of times in the past, but you have no reason to continue making other people suffer because you want me to take notice. I'm not going to stop doing what I'm doing for anyone, not even you. The only way that I'm going to stop doing this is when I'm cold and dead. You want to end me? Do it. Damian's too precious to a lot of people, least of all being myself, to just be killed because this is some plot to make me suffer. You can't take him away from the people who he cares about, who care about him. Take him away from me again, just don't let him die. I can live better knowing that I have a son who hates me than knowing that I had another child who I couldn't save."  
  
Sonny sat on one of the pews and sighed. "Do you want him back, Ana? Has it been too long since you last saw our son that you just can't stand to be without him anymore? I'm sure he'd like that. He loves you more than he loves anyone else. Even as a ghost you're the one person that he comes to time and time again. You raised up one of the finest people I've ever met in my life, and I'm proud to know that I had a hand in him being brought into this world. I'll never stop being sorry for how it happened. I'll never stop feeling grief over the way that I had to use you like I did. You know I didn't have a choice. You know that you, on some level, brought it upon yourself. It was worth it in the end, wasn't it? If we didn't meet on that night, if we weren't forced upon one another the way that we were, neither of us would have had Damian around. I don't want him to be taken away from me yet, Ana. Please, if you're trying to make him leave, don't. You had fourteen years with our son before you died. You held him when he was sick, helped him feel better when he was crying. You watched him grow up and I never got to do any of that. I didn't see the transgression that our son took from a little boy into the man that he is now. You got more time than I ever did, and I don't want to continue on with my life knowing that I didn't use everything that I had to my advantage. We're barely becoming close and now people are working against us to break us apart forever? I know I sound selfish, and on some level I am, I'll always be selfish. But on some level I'm not. I'm not just asking that you keep him here for myself, he has a family that he cares about and that cares for him. You really want to take him from your parents? How are they going to feel when they lose that one last connection that they have to you? You want to take him away from his brother? I'm sure you've been watching, seeing the way that they act around each other. Michael loves Damian, and I know that the feeling is shared. Are you going to take him away from a little boy like my son just for yourself? Do you think that doing something like that is even acceptable in any way?"  
  
Sonny pushed his head back, "A lot of the actions that I've taken in life are not acceptable, and I acknowledge that fact without a doubt. But if there is one thing that I will ever do in my life that will be, without a doubt, something that I know I did right, it's going to be fighting for my son's life. I don't care what it takes. He's not going to die on me. He's not going to leave me."  
  
A hand gently came up across Sonny's shoulder. Carly had been watching for a little bit, not the whole time, but enough time to see that Sonny was acting as desperate as she had ever seen him. A few tears had gone down her cheek as she watched her husband pour out his heart and soul to someone that wasn't even there. But Sonny was desperate, and he didn't have any answers. When that happened, Sonny would always turn to the strangest places possible. It wasn't that Sonny didn't believe in God, he just didn't understand what could go on. After all, how could someone who was supposed to love every single person on the planet allow a child to be beaten by his step-father? To be denied something so simple as a sense of security? Sonny's faith was constantly being called into question, and it wasn't hard to see why. Everything that Sonny did was to please someone, and it was never really him. Sonny was trying to please God, on some level, or at least trying to justify himself to the one that he thought could be the only one to bring him salvation.  
  
"If she heard you, I'm sure she listened," Carly said, sitting down next to him.  
  
"I don't know if I can say goodbye so soon, Carly. I know that I don't want to, but what if I have to?"  
  
"You won't."  
  
"I can keep on trying to believe that," Sonny leaned forward. "But my heart is telling me something and my mind is telling me something else."  
  
"You've always been the type of person that relies on your heart, Sonny. You've never been a rational person."  
  
"You think this is the place to be telling me something like that?"  
  
"I'm just saying that you've always listened to your heart even when your brain was telling you something else because your heart is always right, Sonny. Even when you know that something doesn't seem right you'll still follow it until the end if you feel that it's right. How many times have you fought against people who were telling you that you were wrong about something, and then you ended up being right in the end? How many times have you done that with me?"  
  
"More than I'd care to count," Sonny replied, completely deadpan. "Maybe I am the type of person that always trusts my instincts, and maybe I'm almost always right, but there's going to be a time when I'm not, and I'm going to lose something that I care about a lot. Carly, I don't care about many things as strongly as I care about my children. If someone wanted to hurt me considerably then the easiest way to do it would be to strike at me through one of my kids. Faith already tried it and she almost succeeded."  
  
"But she didn't."  
  
"Just because she couldn't do it doesn't mean that someone else won't try and won't get the job done right." Sonny's hands began to shake, "I don't even know how badly he's hurt. What if there's something wrong with him? What if he'll never be the same? How much will he hate me if he can never do anything with his life because of the sheer fact that I'm his father?"  
  
"He'll never hate you for what happened, Sonny. You didn't have anything to do with this."  
  
"You're wrong, Carly. I always have something to do with what happens around my family. I'm always going to be the common link that places them all in danger. You would tell me that sometimes, remember? And I'd never listen. Maybe now I should start."  
  
"What are you saying?" Carly asked.  
  
"Maybe I should just stop and leave, truly leave."  
  
"Sonny, you can't leave!" Carly grabbed him. "You can't let them win. The people who tried to do this to Damian only want to know that they've somehow managed to dent the shield that you put up in everything that you do. You can't show them that you're weak, remember? How many times have you told me that showing weakness is not acceptable? How many times have I had to listen to you tell me about how important it is to be as strong as you can be?"  
  
"He only wanted to be a doctor and find out who his father was," Sonny recalled what Damian's goals were when he first came to Port Charles. "How did something so simple end up turning into something like this? Something that's so twisted?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"It's because of me, Carly. You know that!"  
  
"Sonny, stop!" Carly yelled. "I won't let you do this to yourself again. I won't let you beat yourself into submission."  
  
"How... how's Michael?" Sonny knew that the only way he was going to get his mind off of what was going on was to think of something else, anything else. At that moment he'd be open to talking about Ric, but things hadn't regressed that badly, so there was no need to do something so drastic.  
  
"I managed to get him calmed down somewhat," Carly said. "But he thinks that this is his fault. You Corinthos men enjoy blaming yourselves for every little problem that goes on the world, even when it's not your fault at all."  
  
"It's not his fault."  
  
"And it's not yours either," Carly pointed out, hoping that driving the point home yet again would actually have some amount of success on her lamenting husband.  
  
"Did you see your mother?"  
  
"No, I just came to the station and saw that you weren't there. When I knew that you weren't there I had a feeling that you would be here." Carly looked at the cross, "Challenging God when you don't have the power to fix the problems that go on in your life all by yourself, you're one of the only people that I know who would be so bold."  
  
"Bold, Carly?" Sonny inquired. "Maybe I'm not bold, maybe I'm just scared."  
  
"We're going to pull through this." Carly grabbed Sonny's hand, "He's going to pull through this. If you can survive being shot at in front of the police station then why wouldn't your son be able to survive getting hit by a truck? He's your boy, Sonny, that means that he's got the same fortitude that you do."  
  
Sonny kissed Carly on the cheek, a quick brush. "Thanks, Carly." She had changed so much since the time that Damian had came into their lives. She would have been against anything that had to do with saving him, now she was trying to save both Sonny and Damian. He was glad that she had come to realize that Damian was important to all of them. 


	143. The Ties That Bind

There were many things that Jason Morgan had a hard time dealing with. Even though he tried to appear like he could do everything without fail the fact was that it wasn't true. Jason had failed at a lot of things, most of them he couldn't really remember. He knew for a fact that he had failed at getting AJ to stop drinking, because if he had then things would have been extremely different. He wouldn't have been the person he was. If AJ had stopped drinking, Jason would still be a Quatermaine, and he might not have ever fallen for Courtney the way that he did, even though they would have met because of the fact that AJ was married to her for a short time. If he wasn't in that accident, maybe he would be a doctor, maybe he'd be working on Damian at that moment. But if he was a Quatermaine he wouldn't have the ties to his nephew that he did because of what happened after the accident. If Jason were still a Quatermaine, Damian would likely be nothing more than just another patient that he had to help. Luckily, Jason was no longer a Quatermaine, and it was a choice that he never regretted.  
  
But, as he stood near the door of the family room of the mansion that had once been his home, a haven and a prison at the same time, he did regret that he had made the choice to come. But he had to make sure that Dillon knew what was going on. It was payback for the favor that Dillon had given to him when he helped Jason out while his injury had a bigger impact on his life. Granted, it was a small thing and what Jason was about to do would no doubt cause another scar by his former family, but a debt was a debt. He had to get a driver to bring him to the mansion, which was also something that he didn't like. He could have driven himself... if things were better. But, they weren't. Jason had to accept that regardless of how much he was opposed to the idea of being a weakling.  
  
Tracy Quatermaine was going through the books of ELQ, her father's company and the one thing that Tracy wanted but could never have. She savored every plan that she made to get ELQ out of the grasp of Edward, but they had always failed. Somehow, her father always managed to be at least one step ahead of her. It made him the best foe for her and the worst at the same time. It bred both their love for one another and their hatred. They were far too much alike to ever be as close as most fathers and daughters should, but at the very least they had the utmost respect for one another. Edward wouldn't like it if he knew that she was looking at the documents that she had no actual authorization to look at, but Tracy didn't care. She could make up some excuse if she was caught by anyone. She was good at making excuses.  
  
She heard the knobs of the side door begin to turn. In a hurry, Tracy put the books back in their rightful place and rushed to the liquor cabinet, pouring herself some brandy. She sipped at it, trying to act as normal as she possibly could. When she saw who was at the door, though, she almost spit her drink out. Instead, she forced herself to swallow it, since it was very unladylike to spit. "If you're here to rob us blind why don't I save you the trouble and just give you a few pieces of silverware?"  
  
Jason ignored Tracy's snide remark. Of all the Quatermaines, she was the one that he didn't want to deal with the most. He would have much rather it been Lila, but his grandmother was rarely ever outside of her room. He thought about paying her a visit while he was actually in the mansion, since she would appreciate it so much, but he wanted to get out as soon as he could.  
  
"Fine," Tracy said, taking Jason's silence as a partial answer. "Then I guess I'll have to tell you that we've moved all of the valuables to different places in the house and changed the combinations to all of the safes." Tracy chuckled, "Not that you would remember where they originally were or what those codes were."  
  
"Tracy, I don't have time for you."  
  
"How rude of you," Tracy replied. "My dear nephew, need I remind you that you are not in this house for anything more than a visit. I am your hostess and you will treat me with the respect that..."  
  
"Where is Dillon?" Jason cut her off.  
  
"What could you possibly want with my son?" Tracy inquired. "If you think that you can get him to do something for you and drag him into that cesspool of a thing you call a career then you're wrong and incredibly desperate. What's wrong, Jason? Did the herd of contract killers suddenly become compromised and now you're trying to repopulate? Since you don't have any children of your own you're going after other's to train into hardened killers? I will not allow you or anyone else to train my son into some emotionless creature."  
  
"I would have thought that he had enough training in being emotionless from you, Tracy," Jason replied. "If you're not going to tell me where Dillon is then I'm just going to have to start looking for him, aren't I?"  
  
"You are not welcome here," Tracy said. "I could call the police on you... although I somehow doubt that would do any good, they probably all fear you and that knack you have for shooting them. You really should stop that, you know. People could start to talk."  
  
"Call the police, Tracy. I don't care."  
  
"Have it your way. Thanks for the visit," Tracy picked up the phone.  
  
"Put that down," Someone else demanded. "My son has every right in the world to be in his home."  
  
"This isn't his home, Alan!" Tracy protested. "He left, remember? He left to start a collection of novelty body bags."  
  
"Jason..." Alan's voice was not masking his shock. Jason almost never came around, it was rarer than a leap year, and even those could be predicted. "Why are you here, son?"  
  
"I can't stay," Jason dashed Alan's hopes as quickly as they had been brought up.  
  
"Then why don't I escort you out?" Tracy offered snidely. "Here," Tracy took a glass and handed it to Jason, "think of it as a souvenir."  
  
"Tracy!" Alan barked at his sister. "That's enough."  
  
"Alan, we cannot house known killers in our home!"  
  
"We can't?" Alan asked. "Haven't we done it before?"  
  
Tracy shut her lip, which was surprising enough.  
  
"Look," Jason said, "I just came here to see Dillon. Could one of you tell me where he's at?"  
  
"Right here," Dillon walked in. "Jason... you need me for something?"  
  
"There was an accident," Jason said. "Damian's in the hospital."  
  
"But... I thought he was in jail."  
  
"He was let out this morning and this evening he was struck by a car."  
  
"Be thankful that we don't have his luck, my darling," Tracy muttered.  
  
"Mom!" Dillon shot out at her. He loved his mother, he would always love her, but he did not appreciate in the least the way that she acted around him when he was with other people. He hated the way she acted so cold and heartless. Someone was hurt, and the first thing she did was make a quip. Dillon was unaware of Damian's release. Georgie had made no effort to call him, although that was likely because of the lack of cell phone service in the area. Now he was out of jail and in a hospital bed. As much as he hated to admit it, his mother was right, he had the worst string of luck.  
  
"Monica would be examining him, she's on duty tonight," Alan said. "Jason, if anyone can save your friend..."  
  
"Nephew," Jason corrected.  
  
"He's not even family!" Tracy shouted.  
  
"More than you are," Jason was really getting tried of Tracy. He would have killed her long ago if he didn't think that it would cause Lila a degree of pain. Dillon could get over it eventually and Emily probably didn't care either way if Tracy lived or died, but Lila loved her daughter without question.  
  
"If anyone can save your... nephew," Alan stumbled over the word, "Monica is that person."  
  
"I need to be over there," Dillon rushed out of the room.  
  
"Dillon, you're not going anywhere!" Tracy's voice echoed down the hall, but he either didn't hear her or more than likely didn't care.  
  
"Do you know anything?" Alan asked, actually concerned about what was going on with the boy that he didn't even know. He was a doctor. He knew how precious life was.  
  
"No," Jason said. "The only thing that we know for sure is that he was hit pushing Michael out of the way of an oncoming truck."  
  
"Why would anyone want to hurt Michael?"  
  
"Maybe because his precious father is a crime lord!" Tracy pointed out, completely devoid of tact, a tactic that she was without equal.  
  
"Tracy, shut up!" Jason yelled. "Maybe if you didn't spend every waking moment judging people you'd actually have the time to look at yourself and you'd realize that you're no better than any of the people that you claim to be above. If anything, you're so much worse."  
  
"Are you going to let this hooligan talk to me like that?" Tracy asked her brother.  
  
"I don't see anything that he's said being wrong or false about you in any way, Tracy. Everything that Jason just said was entirely true." Alan was more than a little pleased that his son would stand up to his sister. Of course, if there was any Quatermaine who had the gall to stand up to Tracy without batting an eyelash it would have to be Jason. The one who stared down death in the eye on an almost daily basis could look at Tracy and not even flinch. It was an impressive skill, Alan couldn't deny that.  
  
Dillon rushed back down with his jacket, "Jason... could you give me a ride to the hospital, please?"  
  
"Dillon, you will not leave this house with that man!" Tracy decreed.  
  
"Mom... Damian's my best friend and he's hurt. Not to mention the fact that Maxie and Georgie are probably there."  
  
"I've always said that you were better than those common twats that you associate yourself with," Tracy commented. "And I know for a fact that you are light years ahead of any son of Sonny Corinthos."  
  
"Mom, I'm going," Dillon stood up to his mother based on the sheer principal of it alone. "You can't stop me."  
  
"If you leave out that door, don't bother coming back," Tracy's threat could have been idle, but at the same time it could have been the real thing.  
  
Dillon didn't care either way, "Mother, I love you, but I won't stand around while one of my friends is in pain just because you don't like him."  
  
"Dillon, I know what's best for you."  
  
"Only in the direction that you want my life to take me, mom. I'll never be the type of person that you are, which is what eats you up, isn't it? I'll never allow myself to be this callous, jaded, phlegmatic creature who doesn't care about any other person but themselves."  
  
"I care about you."  
  
"If you cared about me," Dillon headed for the door, "you wouldn't stop me from doing what I know is right."  
  
"I meant what I said, Dillon! You're not coming back into the mansion!"  
  
"Then you saved me a few months on my wait until I'm 18 to move out plan!" Dillon shouted as he and Jason walked out, Dillon slamming the door behind him.  
  
Tracy poured herself some more brandy, "Now, all I do is wait until he comes crawling back to me."  
  
"You really think he will?" Alan asked.  
  
"Please, unlike your children, mine actually care for me."  
  
"I care about Jason too much to force him into doing anything. I let him live his life the way he wants to, even when I don't believe in it. Tell me, Tracy, which one of us is the better parent? The one who tries to control ever single aspect of their children's lives, or the one that lets them become their own person?" Alan didn't give Tracy a chance to actually answer, he was out of the room a moment later.  
  
Outside-  
  
"I can't believe my mother!" Dillon was irate. "The nerve of that woman! Damian's hurt and the only thing she can tell me is that I can't go and make sure that he's all right. Now I know why everyone hates her so much."  
  
"You sure you're making the right choice?" Jason asked. Although he'd never actually say it aloud, he was both proud and astonished that Dillon had took the tone with his mother that he had. Dillon always seemed too passive and goofy to stand up for himself. Jason was impressed, and he didn't impress easily.  
  
"My mom's just blowing out hot air."  
  
"What if she isn't?" Jason wondered.  
  
"Well... I mean... I could find somewhere to live." Dillon looked at his cousin, "Hey... Jason... thanks. I know how much you hate coming to the mansion, and I don't blame you, but I appreciate the fact that you actually took the time to ignore that animosity and tell me."  
  
"You're his friend and I thought you deserved to know. Come on, I'll drop you off." 


	144. Difficulties

Kayla- I can guarantee that Jason won't be doing anything stupid, when you read the chapter you'll see what he did was a very good thing.  
  
Joy- Sonny's a complex character, and when he's hurt he lashes out at anything and anyone, even the almighty. But, like he said, he was more afraid than anything, afraid that he was going to lose one of the few things in his life that he appreciated, that made his life decent. There are no comatose dreams in this story... Damian's really not even going to be 'around' for a handful of chapters. I wanted to take the focus off of the main character and focus on the others at least once, and this was the chance that I was able to do that. Besides, he's not comatose, he's just... not waking up.  
  
Indeed, I stuck by my promise to add Dillon/Jason moments even if it killed me! Of course, it didn't kill me, it was actually a very good thing. I had so much fun writing that chapter, and it is in part due to the fact that Tracy was in it. I know she's a horrid bitch, but she makes that show so amusing. I love her so much. I think you're onto something with the moving in thing... yes, yes I do...  
  
Story-  
  
General Hospital-  
  
Courtney Morgan had been to the hospital too many times in her life. Sometimes it was because she ended up getting into yet another car accident, but more often than not it was because someone that she cared about was in the hospital. Courtney could never leave a member of her family in the hospital alone. With Damian that wouldn't be a problem, since he would almost always have someone that was there with him, but even still she wanted to be there as well. She was afraid of what could happen. She knew that there were a lot of times that things looked really bad and it seemed like there was going to be no way that anyone could make it out alive, but they almost always did. Conversely, she also knew that there would always be a time when they weren't able to win, when someone was going to die. She always figured that it would be her brother or her husband first, given the life that they led, but she wasn't so sure anymore. This was the second time in such a short span of time that Damian had found himself the target of someone or something that was trying to hurt him. Even though the story went that they were actually focusing on hurting Michael, Courtney wasn't so sure. Anyone who knew Damian well enough would know that he would have done anything to protect his little brother from getting hit. If they appeared to be going for Michael, Damian would have reacted the way that he did. The people who studied Sonny and his family knew those quirks and they wouldn't even bat an eyelash at using it against anyone.  
  
That wasn't important, though. Courtney constantly told herself that the important thing was making sure that Damian survived. Sonny and Jason would no doubt begin fishing out who did it and why as soon as they got over the shock of what had happened. Sonny would probably end up doing that in the morning, if he decided to leave his son's side. Was he in the room with Damian already? Did they know anything?  
  
"Courtney."  
  
Courtney turned around and saw Georgie walking down the hall with a few cans of soda. "Georgie... are you here because of..."  
  
"Yeah," Georgie lowered her head. "Maxie and I were working when he came in."  
  
"Maxie..."  
  
"She saw him."  
  
Courtney felt her body wash over with grief for Maxie. It was something to know that the person that you loved was hurt. It was another to actually see that person, their body bleeding all over. The questions that were running through Maxie's mind must have been things that she didn't even want to think about but she couldn't avoid. "How is she?"  
  
"We've managed to get past the continuous crying fits," Georgie said. "Mr. Corinthos helped her a little bit by talking with her."  
  
"Is he with Damian?"  
  
Georgie shook her head, "Nobody's been able to visit him, since they're still examining him. Monica said that she would come out when there was some news for any of us. Bobbie's with him, though."  
  
"Good," Courtney said. "Bobbie will make sure that he survives."  
  
"Ric Lansing is here, too."  
  
"What?" Courtney felt the hatred for her brother's half-brother swell in her heart. Ric Lansing had no business being anywhere near her family, especially when one of them was in the hospital.  
  
"He and Elizabeth and have been here since the start. Longer than Sonny and Carly, actually."  
  
"Maybe he's just trying to admire his handiwork."  
  
"Do you really think that I would have something to do with what happened to our nephew, Courtney?" Ric asked, coming up from one of the sides.  
  
Courtney rolled her eyes, "He's my nephew, not yours."  
  
"Would you care to ask him how he feels about that one?" Ric inquired. "He's been calling me 'Uncle Ric' as long as he's been calling you 'Aunt Courtney,' after all."  
  
Georgie, not one to stand in the middle of a squabble like the one that was being displayed in front of her, made her way towards the waiting area again.  
  
Neither of them even noticed that the girl was gone. It was like they were only focused on one another. There was so much that went unsaid between them. Ric had done so much to Courtney. He had kidnapped her and even later was the reason that her first wedding to Jason, the one that should have been perfect, ended up never happening. The happiest day of her life was ruined because of the man that was mere feet away from him. She and Jason had gotten married somewhere else, and it was perfect as well, but they should have gotten it done months before. They couldn't, and it was all Ric's fault.  
  
"Damian is driven by a sense of family that sometimes allows him to be blinded by that drive," Courtney stated. "He might think of you as his uncle, and I won't even try to change his mind, but he also knows that you're one of the most dangerous people to him because of the fact that he is Sonny's child."  
  
"He knows of the past that my brother and I share," Ric began, "and he accepts that we may never care for one another in the way that he believes brothers should. But he also knows that anything that goes on between Sonny and myself stays between Sonny and myself. He is in no way involved with our differences."  
  
"If that were true, Ric, you wouldn't be using everyone that you could against Sonny. If that were true you would have never kept Carly locked up in the panic room for months!"  
  
"Courtney, think for a moment, would you?" Ric wanted to do something that would put some sense into her, although he knew that she was a lot like Sonny in the respect that putting him in the room with either of them was not going to bring up anything pleasant. "We are here because someone that we both care about is in the hospital, because that person could be dying as we're busy arguing about petty subjects that don't even matter anymore! I'm here because I care about Damian more than I ever thought I could, because I don't want to see him die. I would like to think that you're here for the same reason, or did you just come to bring up old grudges and desecrate someone that you claim you actually do care for?"  
  
Courtney was going to say something, or she was going to punch Ric in the face. She hadn't decided which was going to make her feel better, although she was favoring the latter. But, she thought about what Ric said and knew that on some level he was right. They were busy arguing about things that didn't even matter. Nothing was important at that moment aside from knowing if Damian was going to live. If that meant that she would have to tolerate Ric for a time, then she would. She didn't have to like it, but she would do it because someone that she loved would want it that way. "If I think, even for a second, that you had something to do with this, Ric, I'm going to make sure that Sonny finds out."  
  
"Fine," Ric knew he had gotten the victory that he wanted, regardless of how cleverly disguised Courtney tried to make it. "Since I doubt you've had a chance to ask anyone, he's lost a lot of blood and might have a few broken bones. The doctors are not going to try any sort of scans until he gets stronger, but he is stable."  
  
Was he lying? Courtney didn't know for sure, but she wanted to believe that he wasn't. "You were there, weren't you?"  
  
"I'm glad I was."  
  
"What's that mean?"  
  
"Courtney, if no one would have been there, he could have died for certain. Michael wouldn't have known what to do. As smart as Michael is, he doesn't have the mindset that would tell him to find a phone and call 9-1-1 when he's busy looking at his brother's bleeding body. There were other cars, and maybe one of them would have done it, but at least I was there so that he had someone he knew around him."  
  
"How did he look?" Courtney asked, her nerves calmed down, if only slightly.  
  
"It's hard to explain. There was so much blood." The knees of Ric's pants were stained with the blood of his nephew from the time that he knelt down to feel for a pulse. The blood had since dried and was a putrid black color. "Most of it came from a head wound, but no doubt he had several lacerations caused from the distance that he was flung when the truck made impact."  
  
"Did you see anything else?"  
  
"The driver quickly sped off," Ric said. "I wasn't paying much attention to the truck, Courtney. I was too busy standing there in a mix of shock and horror before I had Elizabeth use the payphone to dial for some help."  
  
Maybe he was lying about that. Maybe he just wanted someone to hit Damian so that he could be there and appear to be saintly in the eyes of everyone. It could have been just to impress Elizabeth, but if anything he wanted to do it so that he could prove to Sonny that he was worthy of Sonny's appreciation. "I don't know how much I believe of your story, Ric."  
  
"And I know that I don't care how much you believe, Courtney," Ric replied coldly. "The only one who knows what I was thinking at that moment is me, and I'm not lying to myself when I say that my first concern was for my nephew."  
  
"I'm glad that you're telling yourself that you could care for someone other than yourself first and foremost."  
  
Ric was about to open his mouth, but Courtney cut him off. "No, I'm done talking to you, Ric." She walked off towards the waiting area.  
  
Ric stood in silence, thinking about what he needed to do. He was the district attorney now, and he was also a witness to the crime. He should have called Mac, but he was much more worried about Damian. It wouldn't matter until they knew that Damian was going to be okay.  
  
Courtney, still somewhat fuming over the altercation that she went through with Ric, approached the area of the hospital that held several familiar faces. Georgie and Maxie were there, as was Elizabeth. As much as she loathed Ric, she owed Elizabeth as well. She wanted to make sure that Elizabeth knew how grateful she was. "Elizabeth..."  
  
Elizabeth turned around, "Courtney."  
  
"Look," Courtney began, "I just wanted to tell you that I'm very thankful for the fact that you were there with Michael when he needed someone to comfort him. And I want to thank you for bringing him home after the accident as well."  
  
"You don't have to thank me," Elizabeth gave a slight smile. "I'm just glad that Michael didn't have to see everything that happened."  
  
"So am I," Courtney agreed. "He took it really hard."  
  
"We're all taking it really hard," Elizabeth pointed out. "He means a lot to all of us."  
  
Courtney was going to say something along the lines of she wasn't sure how much he meant to everyone, but it was not the time or the place. Instead, she saw that Maxie was staring at the floor. Georgie was sitting next to her, not saying a word but showing support in a silent manner. They would all need to pull together if they were going to get through what had happened. Even though they were all aware of that fact, how likely was it that they would be able to actually call a truce? She wasn't even sure she could do it, and she loved her nephew so much. All he wanted was a family that wasn't filled with constant displays of strife. A family that could actually be a family. It wasn't a big request, not really. But with his family, Damian may as well have been asking for a utopian society. As much as they all knew it was the best thing, it was also something that was impossible. They would never be able to get past their various conflicts... but they could still be there for him. 


	145. The Call

Outside General Hospital-  
  
The car that Dillon and Jason had been riding in had arrived at the hospital. They hadn't really spoken to one another on the ride over. Dillon was usually much more talkative, even though it was mostly because he was almost always nervous, especially when he was around his older and much more lethal cousin. But the nerves that were going off en masse when he was around Jason made him shut his mouth more often than not. After all, Jason could probably pull a gun on him and blow him away without even worrying about it and never losing any sleep. One wrong word on Dillon's part and he would be pushing up daises.  
  
Jason was used to the silence, but he had to admit that it was a little strange that Dillon wasn't rambling. He wouldn't say anything, of course, since the silence let him think about who was trying to hurt his family. Of course, Alcazar's name came up first and foremost. The man had tried to put Damian away forever in a prison cell for doing something that Damian had no part in. Since that plan obviously came up with no good results it was not unexpected for Lorenzo to try the more permanent and quicker solution. There were others on the list as well. Ric, and any number of Sonny's enemies from all around the world. Jason knew he was wasting his time, though. Since, even if he knew who had done the deed, he was in no shape to go after them. He cursed his temporary disability.  
  
"We're here," Dillon said in a near whisper, breaking Jason's concentration.  
  
"You should get up there, then," Jason replied.  
  
"You're not coming?" Dillon asked.  
  
Jason shook his head, "I don't like hospitals."  
  
"Jason... he's your nephew. You defended him in front of the Quatermaine's. Are you telling me that you don't care about him enough to curb the fear that you have?"  
  
"I'm not afraid, Dillon," Jason said harshly.  
  
"You're not?" Dillon pressed the issue, no longer worried about his health but knowing that he needed to get the point across. "Jason, I know that they couldn't help you get your memory back. I know that's why you don't come around the mansion as much as you do and I know that's why you don't like going to the hospital unless you absolutely have to. But this isn't something that you're dealing with. You're not the one that they're trying to help, Jason. They're not going to look at you and not know what to say."  
  
"You're wrong," Jason looked directly at Dillon. "If they can't save him, if he dies, they're going to come to all of us and say that they couldn't save him. They're not going to have a reason because they can never have a reason for everything. I hate not having answers, Dillon. I hate the fact that I can't answer every single question that comes my way because everyone who has a problem automatically tries to find a way to come my way and expects me to be the solution. The reason I'm not going is because I don't want every single pair of eyes turning towards me in case something goes wrong."  
  
"You seem to do fine being the go-to guy."  
  
"How much of that do you think is me just putting on a face?" Jason asked. "I'm sorry, Dillon, but I can't be there... not right now."  
  
"I think I understand," Dillon closed the door and got out, looking at the hospital doors. The car pulled away, the headlights glaring in the night sky. Dillon, in the short time that he had really known Jason, had never seen him act so insecure. It was scary to see Jason Morgan broken down to someone who was scared about not being able to have every single answer. It wasn't fair to Jason, Dillon knew that. People shouldn't rely on anyone else for their own problems, but they relied on Jason. Sonny, Carly, Courtney, Emily, maybe even he did on some level. If things had been any different, would Dillon have acted in another manner? Would he have stayed around as long as Jason did? No, if Dillon had people placing such high expectations on himself he would have run and never looked back. For Jason to keep on going on with life even in spite of what was happening, even though he didn't like being the one that people depended on, was remarkable. Dillon walked into the hospital and went into the elevator.  
  
Upstairs-  
  
Sonny and Carly came back from their time I the chapel. They were holding hands, binding together and sharing their strength as best they could. Carly was the stronger of the two in that moment. Sonny couldn't help but feel that everything around him was crumbling. Everything that he had done to keep his children save had obviously failed. In seeing that failure, did it mean that he had failed as a father? Had he betrayed the one vow that meant more to him than anything else? The one that stated that he would never make the same mistakes that were made in his life? Was he acting like Mike had with him? The fact that Sonny was there, in Damian's life, gave him a small answer. Mike wouldn't have come. Mike wasn't there. Sonny saw Courtney and knew that he needed all of his family with him, at least the ones who could stand to be there or understand what was going on. "I need to make a phone call," Sonny told Carly, breaking away.  
  
"You want me to go with you?" Carly asked.  
  
Sonny shook his head, "It's just a phone call, Carly. I think I can make it on my own without much effort."  
  
"Sonny..."  
  
"I'll be fine, I promise," Sonny walked down the hall.  
  
Courtney got up and stood next to Carly, watching Sonny walk away. "Where's he going?" She asked.  
  
"He said he needed to make a phone call."  
  
"Right now?" Courtney had a bad feeling that it meant that he was making a business call. Of all the times that Sonny should have forced himself to concentrate on something else other than his business... it was in that moment. But she still held out hope for her brother, hoping that it was a call that had to do with the matter at hand. "Maybe I should..."  
  
"No, Courtney," Carly's voice wasn't stern, but it was enough to get the point across. "Sonny wants to do whatever he's doing alone. Right now I don't want to try and take anything from Sonny. He's already lost so much." Carly noticed that Ric was there. The two of them met eyes before both turned away. "I can't believe Sonny's letting him stay around."  
  
"Sonny knows?" Courtney was all too aware of the person that was in question.  
  
"Yeah, Sonny knows."  
  
"Did he say why?"  
  
"I don't know, Courtney," Carly shook her head. "Sonny's got a lot on his mind right now and I guess he just doesn't want to deal with whatever it is that Ric's true purpose being here is."  
  
"He's trying to make it seem like he's concerned," Courtney scoffed. Maybe they were close enough for Ric to hear, maybe not. It wasn't like she didn't really want Ric to hear how much she hated him. "Can you believe that?"  
  
"Well... as much as I hate to admit it... Damian would want Ric here," Carly looked around. "Has there been anything about his condition?"  
  
"Not since I've been here, no," Courtney said. "I didn't know that your mother was in there with him, though."  
  
"She is?" Carly didn't know either. It made her feel somewhat more comfortable. "Mom will keep him safe. I hope."  
  
"I think she will, too. I just wish that we had answers."  
  
"We'll get them eventually, Courtney," Carly tried to sound as optimistic as she could. "I know that we'll find out the information that we need to know soon. If we don't get it directly from them then we'll find a way to get it. Sonny can be pretty forceful when he needs to be."  
  
"You'd know, wouldn't you?" Courtney laughed a soft but noticeable laugh. It was the first time that she had managed to stop acting worried. She was happy for that single moment.  
  
Dillon came up from the elevator. He noticed Courtney and Carly first, although they were too involved with one another to care about him. It wasn't that depressing. Dillon wasn't there for the two of them, after all. No, his attentions were focused on his girlfriend and Maxie. They were a few feet away. Georgie didn't even notice him. Dillon came up and placed a hand on her back. She jumped at first, but when she turned around she hugged him. "I'm so happy that you're here."  
  
"I just wish I didn't have to be here," Dillon replied sadly. "I can't believe it. I didn't even have a chance to talk to him after he got out."  
  
"I did," Maxie muttered, remembering their horrid fight that happened mere hours before his accident. "I was so mean..."  
  
"Maxie..." For once, it was Dillon who was being Maxie's supporter. Acting as the one who would have filled Damian's role if he weren't the person that was hurt. "Whatever it is that you did, I'm sure he had already forgiven you."  
  
Maxie looked at Dillon, "Really?"  
  
Dillon smiled, "How could he stay angry at you? Maxie, he loves you so much, more than you could ever imagine. He was so nervous when you two went out. He could never really be mad at you. And, I also know for a fact that he wouldn't want you moping around. How do you think he's going to like it if he wakes up and sees you with your makeup smudged? Come on, cheer up some. He loves you too much to leave you."  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"Because he told me so." Dillon got off his knees, "Why don't you go and get some air or something? Give those eyes of yours some time to get the red out. You know that the first time he sees you when he can he's going to think that you're the most beautiful woman in the world."  
  
Maxie got off the chair and hugged Dillon. "Thanks, I needed that."  
  
"Just here to help," Dillon responded.  
  
Maxie walked off, Georgie was watching her. "You know, you really impressed me."  
  
Dillon looked at his girlfriend, "Really?"  
  
"I never thought she would get off that chair until she could see him. How are you able to act like nothings wrong?"  
  
"I'm a Quatermaine, we're good at denial," Dillon quipped. "But I'm still really afraid."  
  
"So am I."  
  
Elsewhere in the Hospital-  
  
Sonny looked at the phone. It was like facing off against his worst enemy. He hadn't asked Courtney to come with him because he wanted to prove to himself that he could bury his past with his father for the good of his children. He would never do it for himself, but for Damian, Michael or Morgan he would have to. No amount of ignoring their bloodline would stop making Mike their grandfather. Sonny put a coin in and dialed. His first instinct was still to hang up, but he forced himself to keep the phone ringing.  
  
"Hello?" Mike's voice was distinguishable. One that Sonny would never forget.  
  
"Mike," Sonny called into the receiver.  
  
"Michael, what's wrong?" Mike asked. At that moment Sonny wasn't Sonny, he was Michael, Mike's boy. He could tell that something was bugging his child, and that made him want to make it go away. Even if his son thought he didn't have any fatherly instincts when it came to their relationship, he was wrong.  
  
"You need to come to the hospital," Sonny's voice was a mixture of demand and request. "Something's happened."  
  
"Is it bad?"  
  
"I think it is, yeah," Sonny put his head on the top of the payphone. "Just come, please."  
  
"I'll be out the door in a minute. Don't leave."  
  
"I won't be going anywhere," Sonny hung the phone up and sighed. He had done it, and he should have felt proud, but he was still living with the fact that his father was little more than a man with a name and a biological tie to him. Would Mike ever be 'dad' to him again? Sonny doubted it. He would never put that much trust in anyone else unless he knew that they could be trusted. He knew that it was the same way between him and Damian. That time that they weren't close, when they were barely even civil with each other. It was a lot like what Mike and Sonny were going through. Sonny was his father in that case, trying to make up for past mistakes with words and apologies. Damian was just like Sonny was still being... not listening, not letting go of something that couldn't be changed. In the first case it was the past, in the second it was Sonny's way of life. It was a dynamic that may never change. Sonny should have been bigger than that. He should have been able to rise above it. But he wasn't. 


	146. Time of Unease

Kayla- Yes, Dillon standing up to his mother was a rare and beautiful thing. Dillon getting a backbone, hooray. Well, I can't make any promises, but nothing will happen to Damian soon... I mean, outside of the usual stuff that happens when you've gotten hit by a truck, which is probably quite painful.  
  
Joy- Yes, Damian could be a catalyst because that's what I've wanted him to be. A linking to everyone because so many people care about him, even people who think that they shouldn't. Your list listed everyone but Dillon and Elizabeth, pity. I don't think I'll have any campouts or the such, but they will all be lending support in their own ways. I'm sure you'll survive the chapters without him, really sure.  
  
Yes, Dillon and Jason have always had that potential, and I intend on tapping into it as much as I can before the end of the story. As for the Dillon/Maxie thing, Dillon's Damian's best friend, Maxie would listen to him before anyone else, really. Not only that, she already likes Dillon and trusts him. He also stated long ago that he loved Maxie, not the same kind of love for Georgie, but a love nonetheless.  
  
Story-  
  
Outside General Hospital-  
  
The cool October winds hit Maxie's face as she stood on a balcony. It was refreshing. There was so much raw emotion inside of the hospital that it was beginning to choke her, or at least give her the feeling that she was being choked. At least everyone was feeling the same thing. They were all worried about Damian. None of them wanted him to die. She took another look inside and saw the people that were inside. It was the only time she had saw, and would probably ever see, Ric Lansing and Courtney Morgan actually tolerating one another. It was a very uneasy alliance, she admitted that without a doubt, but they were making it. They were brought together by the common feeling of love for someone that they both cared about.  
  
Maxie looked at the stars, possibly looking for inspiration, possibly not. In her minds eye she saw his face. The way his hair would fall down his face without any effort. All she would need to do was run her hand through it, feeling it like silk. It was beautiful, so was he. She'd never say that to him aloud, since she knew that guys did not enjoy being called beautiful, but there wasn't very many other ways that she could describe it. She could have used handsome, which he was as well... he was just hard to classify. The way he would make her laugh effortlessly. How he would fight just to keep her happy even when she was feeling her worst. She'd give anything to have those feelings again.  
  
She remembered how horrible she felt when she was going through the motions of realizing that he was in jail. She remembered how tame it seemed when compared to the fact that he was fighting for his life in the hospital bed, without her. Monica had made it seem like he was stable, and he might have been, but Maxie knew that stability didn't mean that he was out of the water. He could lose his fight at any moment, for no reason. He could be gone from her forever. Did he know? Did he have a feeling that even if he did make it out of the jail cell, if he managed to avoid prison, that something would happen to him? Was that why he made Maxie promise that she wouldn't force herself to give up on love. The only one who knew for certain the answer to that question was Damian himself, and he was in no position to be talking about anything.  
  
She also recalled her conversation with Michael. The poor boy. He had just gotten his big brother back, and now he could possibly lose him again. What was going through Michael's head at that moment? Why wasn't he with his family? Maxie realized that Michael was too young to be around a scene such as the one that they were in. It wouldn't be healthy for a young boy to be standing around and waiting to hear if his brother was going to live or not. Still, Maxie really wanted to know how Michael was handling it. They weren't close, but they were united in both an admiration and love for Damian. Besides, she did think that Michael was pretty cute for a little kid.  
  
"You feeling any better?" Georgie came up. Her concern was always with her sister. If Maxie was going through anything at all, Georgie put everything on hold just so she could devote every moment of her time towards helping Maxie. Maxie would never do the same thing for Georgie, but that didn't mean that Maxie loved her sister any less. If anything, Maxie let Georgie deal with her own problems because Maxie knew that Georgie could deal with them. They only made Georgie a stronger and better person, whereas Maxie could never have that kind of fortitude. She wanted it, but it was something that would always be denied.  
  
"I guess," Maxie said, not looking at her sister. "I've stopped crying. That's a good sign, right?"  
  
"I'd think it would be," Georgie replied uneasily. "Maxie, you know I'm sorry that you're going through this, right?"  
  
"Yeah," Maxie nodded. "But I also know that no amount of apologizing on your part is going to change what happened. It's okay, though. He'll make it through, wont' he?"  
  
"I believe that he will, yeah," Georgie said, her voice filled with a comforting tone. "Like Dillon was saying, he loves you too much to leave you now."  
  
"What do you think about me... as someone who has a boyfriend?" Maxie asked.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I got so angry at him for no reason at all, Georgie!" Maxie put her hands on the edge. "I wanted him to choose between me and his family, which is something that he would never make me do. He never asked me to pick between him and Mac when Mac didn't approve of our seeing one another. He never expected me to make any sort of sacrifices just for him, especially when it came to my relationship with you or dad."  
  
"He would never want you to try and destroy any of your relationships, Maxie. He knew how important the two of us were to you..."  
  
"I wish I could stop thinking about him in the past tense," Maxie cut Georgie off. "It makes me feel like I'm already admitting to myself that he's going to die, but I don't want to admit that to myself because I don't want it to happen."  
  
"None of us do."  
  
"I'm such a horrible person," Maxie fell to her knees, sliding down the side of the balcony. "I tried to do the one thing that he never did to me. I tried to force him into picking who meant more. His family, or me. Georgie, why do I do this to myself? Why do I constantly find a way to wreck every single good thing that comes into my life?"  
  
"I wish I knew," Georgie got down next to her sister. "I wish I could tell you what you're doing wrong so that you would never do it again, but I know you too well, Maxie. I know that you're always going to be making the mistakes that you constantly make and that I'm always going to be the one that picks them up after you. I accept that fact, and I still love you so much."  
  
"I don't want to be the one that everyone has to look out for, though," Maxie admitted. "I want to have something that's just mine. Something that I can depend on without a doubt. I thought I found that. It seems corny, but the minute he protected me from Kyle, the minute he stepped in to help someone that he didn't even know, I felt that there was something that would connect us."  
  
"I was like that with Dillon," Georgie smiled. "When we kissed, even though he was a complete stranger, I could feel that we were going to be together someday. I don't think that it's strange that you felt something like that when you met him, Maxie. I mean, look around you. Look at everything that's happened because of the bond that the two of you share. I can't think of a couple that deserves each other better than both of you. You're being too hard on yourself for thinking that you destroyed the relationship just by asking him to pick between you and his family. I don't think you should have done that, but you can't change the past. He would have forgiven you, he probably already did."  
  
"You're the best, you know that," Maxie hugged her sister.  
  
"I have to be. After all, being your little sister is a full time job."  
  
Maxie forced herself to laugh. The way her sister would just say something nonchalantly that would make her feel better. At least Maxie hadn't lost that, at least she hadn't yet had to deal with the realty that Georgie would leave her eventually. She had to realize that Georgie was going to be heading off to college soon. Maybe she would go to PCU, but Maxie wanted something better for her little sister. Georgie could have easily made it into the Ivy League schools, and she was smart enough to get so many scholarships without even trying. Plus, she could have gotten a grant from the hospital because of all the hours she put in. Georgie was the consummate professional in every walk of life. She couldn't do anything wrong. Maxie envied that. But, at that moment, she was just happy to have Georgie there with her, making her feel better. Inside-  
  
Dillon had been watching Georgie and Maxie, but he kept his distance. He had done his part when it came to helping Maxie cope. Anything else would be almost solely dependant on Georgie. She could do it. If anyone could bring Maxie from the edge, it was Georgie. Damian was good at it, there was no denying that, but he had only been at it since he came to Port Charles. Georgie had years of past experiences under her belt, something that no one else could claim. Not Mac, not Frisco, not Felicia, nobody. Besides, Dillon didn't feel comfortable standing around with the people that were all there with him. The only one who he wasn't even remotely afraid of was Elizabeth. Carly was insane, but not really in a bad way. After all, she had caused the Quatermaine's so much trouble during the time that she was married to AJ. It made Dillon respect her more, knowing that they had a common ground in their animosity towards that family. Ric unnerved him, there was no question about it. Even though Ric never did anything to him specifically, he knew that Ric was capable of doing anything to get what he wanted. Dillon was in town when Carly was locked in the panic room. He remembered the fear that people were feeling, not knowing where Carly was. Ric was possibly as dangerous as Sonny, only because Ric was better at keeping his motives hidden than Sonny could ever hope to be. Sonny was the type of person that was a very short fuse when he was set off. As much as Dillon admired Sonny, he feared him even more. Courtney was a problem, too. She was the sweetest person that he had ever met this side of Lila, but she had Jason as her husband and protector. Jason wouldn't bat an eyelash at hurting anyone who did anything to Courtney except for maybe Sonny himself, and Dillon certainly knew that he didn't fall anywhere on Jason's list of favorite people.  
  
When Sonny walked up from one of the other parts of the hospital, Dillon was awed. Sonny had always seemed so confident, so strong. But at that moment he didn't see that part of Sonny Corinthos. At that moment the only thing that he saw was a scared father, hoping that his child would make it through the night. Dillon didn't know if Sonny would want him there, but he wouldn't leave.  
  
Sonny wanted some information, but he wasn't going to get it by asking. He had to wait until someone was willing and able to give him some information.  
  
"Sonny," Courtney saw her brother wasn't feeling like he should. It wasn't like she could blame him. Everyone was so somber, so afraid. "Did you do what you needed?"  
  
"Mike's on his way over."  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"Because... I called him and told him what happened."  
  
Courtney smiled. "You did the right thing, Sonny. Our father deserves to know that his grandson is in the hospital."  
  
"I know, Courtney. I know."  
  
Courtney hugged Sonny, "You know, I've never been more proud of you before in my life.You did it without anyone making you."  
  
"That's not entirely true," Sonny said. "I had someone helping me. I knew he'd want Mike to know. I'm trying really hard to do everything the way I know my son would want it. He doesn't want anyone excluded from caring for him, so I won't be the one who betrays his belief." Sonny shot a quick glance to Ric, "Even when I'm not entirely sure that I like the way it's going."  
  
"Let it go, Sonny," Carly tugged at his elbow. "For now, just accept that he's here for a reason that you can't deny. We're all watching him even closer than ever before, just in case he does try something."  
  
"Dillon's here?" Sonny asked, seeing the teen with the distinguishable hairstyle.  
  
"Everyone is," Courtney said. "Everyone except Jason and Michael."  
  
"Courtney, if you want me to... I could order Jason to come..."  
  
Courtney shook her head, "Just because he isn't here doesn't mean that he doesn't care, Sonny. I accept that."  
  
Monica watched them from a few feet away. The way that they handled a crisis situation was very unique and unexpected. Maybe her son wasn't as bad off as she thought.  
  
Sonny saw her, "Monica? Is there something wrong?" 


	147. Nothing But

Emergency Room, General Hospital-  
  
Bobbie had watched Monica do everything that was possible to do for Damian in the state that he was in. It wasn't good. It could have been worse, but it certainly could have been better. He was breathing, his vitals weren't weak, but he hadn't stirred at all. She had tried talking to him and touching his cheek with her hand softly, just trying to get a reaction. He didn't even flinch. His head was bandaged at the top, the bandage containing the slight bleeding that was still coming out of the now stitched wound. The gash wasn't wide, but it was deep. He needed 14 stitches. When she watched the doctors pierce through his skin she was unnerved. The only thing that made it somewhat tolerable was the fact that she knew that he wasn't feeling any pain. He couldn't feel anything. He might not ever feel anything ever again.  
  
Bobbie knew for a fact that Sonny was outside, which likely meant that Carly was as well. It was nice to know that she could be there. There was a time when she would have just stood back and let it happen without feeling anything. She couldn't give the boy any empathy. It reminded Bobbie so much of the way that Carly was when she first came to Port Charles. Carly was past that, she had matured.  
  
"Don't make us bury you," Bobbie pleaded. "You're stronger than this, I know you are." Bobbie was alone. No one was aware of her pleas, but it didn't matter. The only person that she wanted to have hear her requests was Damian. She knew that he was able to hear her. He wasn't brain dead. If he would wake up... that was another story. She'd gone through too many people that she cared about finding themselves in coma's to add another to the list. But there wasn't anything that she could do to prevent it. It was entirely based on Damian's on strength and the stroke of luck that he could have. Bobbie monitored the ratings that were being fed to her. "You don't know how much you've changed everyone's lives. I guess we all didn't realize just how much you did until we got close to losing you. First with the horrid charges that were brought against you, and now with this. If you don't' survive, Damian, things will never be as good as they are now. Michael's going to be crushed without you to look up to. Sonny... Sonny's going to break down without you. If you can hear me... please don't go."  
  
Waiting Area-  
  
"Monica?" Sonny again pushed for some information.  
  
Monica looked at the pairs of eyes that were looking at her. They all wanted her to tell them something good, something that she couldn't really tell them. But, she didn't really have bad news. It just wasn't what she knew they wanted to hear. "Sonny, your son is a very lucky young man. Both of them are, if what I've learned about Michael being the target of the truck is true."  
  
"That's not important," Sonny countered.  
  
Monica knew that it wasn't. Michael, who was her grandson and would always be her grandson regardless of what a legal adoption paper said, was safe. She had no animosity towards Damian, in fact, she rather enjoyed knowing that Michael had someone who was at least marginally stable to look up to. Damian might have had his flaws, least amongst them being the uncanny ability to attract trouble like a magnet, but he certainly wasn't the type of person that Sonny or even Jason had ended up becoming. She knew that he wanted to become a doctor. If he ever fully recovered, he would eventually find himself interning under her and Alan at some point in his life. She didn't know how much she would trust a Corinthos being a doctor, but if he proved himself then she wouldn't have any problem with it. She would give him that chance, too, if she could. At that moment, though, everything was up in the air. "There hasn't been a change in his condition since we got him in the monitors an hour ago."  
  
"Do I need to call in some specialists?" Sonny asked. "If you need me to get someone from... I don't care where, if it's some country that I've never even heard of. I'll get the best no matter what."  
  
"That won't be necessary," Monica wasn't sure what to think of Sonny's idea. Did he not trust the staff at General Hospital enough to care for his own son? It was possible, but it was even more probable that he was just a worried father. Sonny's instincts weren't exactly the best in the world, but if it came to his children, Sonny would be in full force and always be the protector. "Obviously, these next few hours are going to be critical. We've managed to get some of the blood that he lost transfused back into him, and his body isn't rejecting it, so that's being extremely helpful. But there's always the chance that something could happen. His body could go into shock."  
  
"Is he awake?" This time it came from Courtney.  
  
Monica gazed at the beautiful woman who had been her daughter-in-law on more than one occasion. "No, Courtney, he isn't."  
  
"Will he wake up?" Courtney questioned further.  
  
"The chances are high, but again, there's really no completely accurate diagnosis I can give you until we've got more time to let his body heal or at least deal with the trauma that has been inflicted upon it. Tomorrow morning we're going to give him x-rays and see if there is anything that is broken or fractured. Or initial scan suggested the possibility of several cracked ribs and possibly a bruised tailbone." Monica took a breath. "Since we don't have to operate on him or try some ploy to give him more time it really does mean that his chances are a lot better than they could have been."  
  
"Can I see him?" Sonny asked.  
  
"Just you for now, Sonny," Monica replied. "We don't want too many people in the room at the same time, but I know how much he means to you."  
  
"Where is he?" Sonny was anxious to see his son breathing. Even if they couldn't talk, even if he couldn't be certain that everything was going to be all right, knowing that Damian was alive was more than enough.  
  
"The nurse will take you to him," Monica said softly. "Bobbie is still with him, maybe you can give her a break."  
  
One of the nurses came out from behind the station, holding a folder in her hand. "Follow me, please, Mr. Corinthos."  
  
"Sonny..." Carly's voice hung low. She was worried for her husband more than anything. How would he take looking at Damian in a hospital bed?  
  
"I'll be fine, I promise."  
  
Carly held on to his hand as far as her reach would allow before she let go, her arm falling limp on her side. She watched him turn the corner, never once taking her eyes off her husband and not taking her mind off of him even when she couldn't see him. She wanted to be with him. Couldn't she pull some strings? Wouldn't it be possible for her to be with her husband? With her step-son? Her mother wouldn't throw her out, Carly knew that. But she also knew that it was important to Sonny that he have some time alone with Damian, even if it was truly alone, not something that really opened up for some heart-felt one on one conversation. When Sonny wanted her, when he needed her, she would know, and she would be there.  
  
"If you'll excuse me," Monica began, "I've got some patients that I need to check up on in other areas of the hospital."  
  
Dillon waited for a moment before he chased after Monica. "Could I ask you something?" He wondered.  
  
Monica stopped. "If you can make it quick."  
  
"What are his odds, in your mind?"  
  
"That depends on what you're asking, Dillon," Monica said. "If you're wondering how good his chances are of living through this, I'd think that they were pretty good. But if you're asking me what I think his chances are of actually coming out of this without something... then the chances are going to be considerably lowered."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Dillon asked.  
  
"We don't know what happened, Dillon. We don't know the extents of the damage that was caused. He could need to have a kidney transplant, or there's the possibility that he'll never actually have the same level of mobility that he had. Plus... there's always that lingering chance that he could never wake up."  
  
"He's in a coma?"  
  
"I don't think so," She said. "But that doesn't mean that he can't lapse into one without warning. Not to mention the fact that there could be some possible mental trauma that he could have gone through with the head injury."  
  
"Could he forget everything... like Jason?"  
  
"It's always a lingering outcome," Monica was again reminded of the son that she lost. The son that she would never get back. "Why are you even here, Dillon? Shouldn't you be at the mansion?"  
  
"Jason... actually came and told me what happened before he gave me a ride here."  
  
"Jason was at the mansion?"  
  
"For a second, before my mother drove him off," Dillon omitted the part about being exiled from the Quatermaine mansion.  
  
"Tracy..." Monica's voice showed that she had nothing but contempt for Tracy. They had been enemies for the longest time, and it didn't seem likely that there was going to be any change in the dynamic. She shelved that battle for another time. "Dillon, you should go home. There's really nothing that you can do here."  
  
"I want to stay," Dillon protested. "My mom can't understand what it's like to care about someone, Monica. She might feel something like this if I were in the hospital, or if Ned were, or maybe if Alan, Grandfather or Grandmother were, but they would be things that she would do simply because she feels that it's expected of her. I'm not here because I feel that I have to be here. I'm here because I want to be here. You know what that's like, don't you?"  
  
"If you're still here when my shift ends, I can give you a ride home if you'd like," Monica was glad that Dillon had finally forged a friendship that he could enjoy. She had often noticed that he really only seemed to associate himself with Georgie and Maxie. While she did not hold anything against the Jones girls, she knew how much Dillon needed someone that wasn't a female friend.  
  
"Sure, if you want..."  
  
"It could be awhile," She said.  
  
"Don't worry about it, Monica. I've got nothing but time before I have to go home."  
  
"I'll let you all know if something changes." Monica walked away.  
  
Dillon turned around, leaning against the wall, "Nothing but time." 


End file.
